THE mayor of Tavistock seems to have taken it upon himself to lecture us ratepayers on why we should subsidise the council's extraordinary activities.

To amass arbitration costs of £185,000 in relation to a building contract of probably no more that £1,000,000 is incredible and not something that happens overnight, so to have kept us all in the dark for so long is inexcusable.

Until the council explains to the public the detail of why they are demanding such a massive rate increase of 400 per cent I will assume that this is due to their mis-management and incompetence!

Tavistock Town Council is one of the richest property owning parishes in England, yet there would appear to be a total lack of property expertise at the council in this matter and contrary to Mr Mathew's letter, a well run private property company would not get itself into this mess in the first place.

Mr Mathew states that the council has no intention of maintaining the new high council tax, but if this rate increase is just for their legal costs, what will the next year's rate demand be if they lose the arbitration as this would include not only an award against the council but also the other side's legal costs as well!?

Something seems to be seriously wrong with the town council and it is about time the ratepayers of Tavistock had greater accountability from their elected members.

John G Taylor

Wessex Heritage

29 King Street

Tavistock

THE mayor of Tavistock and I have both fallen into error in your columns recently. Further delving into the Government's new trap for councils shows that the 'hit' suffered by council tax payers because of the Tavistock precept will be for this year only and I have never suggested that Tavistock will continue to levy council tax on their residents (and mine) at this year's crazy levels.

The fact remains that Col. Howard (town clerk) has stated publicly what is confirmed privately by 'sources close to' the town council, that some councillors plan to keep the huge precept demanded this year, even if they get it back from their legal adversaries during the next.

The West Devon Liberal Democrat Group have submitted to the council a plan for a budget which will not only avoid the effects of the town precept for the rest of us but greatly reduce them for Tavistock tax payers.

For all of us it gives a rise in council tax even lower than last year's record.

It will require solidarity among the various groups of members to overcome officer-insistence that council tax be raised by a multiple of inflation and a huge fine be paid quite unnecessarily, to central government. It will also require sensible cooperation from the town council. I refuse to despair of either.

Nicholas Waterhouse

Leader

West Devon Liberal Democrat Group

MAY I remind Councillor Waterhouse (Letters February 10) that in the real world council taxes here went up by 33 per cent (£295) in the three years of Liberal Democrat rule in West Devon and Exeter.

His claim to have done well in 98/99 should be weighed against the near 20 per cent rise from Exeter that year — but then, it was not an election year for county councils. And the real costs to the town of the Bedford Square adventure have yet to come in.

Ted Gibson

2 Stannary Bridge Road

Tavistock