COUNCILLOR Waterhouse misses the point in his letter (March 14) about the borough council's next budget. He is altogether too kind to the Government.

Every year this Government promises a generous settlement for local authorities and says it sees no reasons for high council tax rises, but every year council tax rises by three or four times the rate of inflation. Every year Labour makes promises and every year breaks them.

Why is this? Principally because the Government year on year gives councils more jobs to do while reducing the grant for council services. This coming year's grant to West Devon is down in real terms by 9.4%. Business rates have gone up a bit but investment income will be right down and new laws are obliging the council to spend a great deal more in many ways, especially on what is mistakenly called 'modernisation'.

The council has put aside extra for weekly recycling of household waste and for help towards business rates for sports clubs and village post offices.

The council's total budget is only 1.6% higher than last year, yet the smaller Government grant means a much higher increase in council tax. I think we all regret this but there has been little choice.

The county council seems to have been in the same boat; its Government grant has gone up by only 1.6%.

This is nothing like enough to cover the additional money needed for county support for our social services, fire services, waste disposal and flood defences (remember New Year's Eve 2000).

So here is a consistent national policy that the council tax-payer should pay more, and ever more, rather than the income-taxpayer.

There are good arguments in favour of such a shift in the tax burden: the trouble is that this Government pretends it is not happening: for example, Stephen Byers said on December 4 2001: 'There is no reason why we should see large increases in council tax next year.'

He was deceiving the public cruelly, and it is fair to call these new council tax rises is yet another major stealth tax.

Cllr Dick Eberlie

Conservative Group Leader

West Devon Borough Council

I AM just in receipt of my council tax bill, as feared it has increased by almost 10 per cent. Clearly the large increases 'built in' by the Government when making its spending plans for this year have now taken affect. Councils have been forced to pass on these large increases to council tax payers.

However much money New Labour demands from us each year from council tax they still prove incapable of delivering reform of public services.

They are at present too preoccupied with 'The hunting with dogs bill' to bother about raising the quality of our public services. New Labour shows all the signs of administration in decay.

This year's large council tax bill increases are a clear example of New Labour running amok with our money!

Graham Gale

Goodleigh House

Winkleigh