HCTC Statement to Council

11 NOVEMBER 2003

Good evening and thank you for giving me this opportunity of addressing
Cabinet. I am today representing the views expressed on levels of Council
Tax of over 12,000 residents of Harrow ,some of whom are here today as you
can see. They are angry and increasingly militant because you continue to
ignore their views. They elected you and they expect you to listen. Their
message is loud and clear. Enough is enough!

They want to see any increase in Council Tax next year limited to the rate
of inflation. They want you to take note and act in accordance with their
wishes NOW. They do not want to be faced with a so called consultation as
last year when they were asked in February to choose between an increase of
17 % OR 20%!!. Their views are available to you today

They believe that they are not getting enough value for their money and many
have told me that they are getting nothing for the extra money. Even after
you have raided our money in the Reserves as well as spent the money we
have paid in through tax increases of over 110% since 1997 you are rated
as a weak performing Council.
The Audit Commission puts you towards the bottom end of the national
Council league tables.
In money terms you are collecting £45M PER YEAR EXTRA from us. What are you
doing with it?
If anyone in a commercial environment were to perform in this manner they
would have long since been shown the door.

Of course you never seem to take responsibility for the increases-it's
always someone else's fault! One scapegoat is Government -- you say they
short changed you in their settlement-BUT IN FACT- Harrow received an
increase of more than twice inflation and one in excess of both the London
and National averages.

You also have gone on record as asking that we should do your job for you
and propose a budget. Of course you know that this is not a practical
suggestion or even one that you should be making You stood voluntarily to do
the job on our behalf ,are paid to perform and have had years in which to
draw up workable and affordable plans .Much as we would like to we cannot
replace you - not just yet anyway!!

But to try and be helpful to you here are a few suggestions--You can stop
wasting money on Managerial grades which have grown 25% in numbers this year
alone. You are currently willing to pay £100,000 per annum to employ
somebody to measure how well you are doing as an organization- I CAN LET YOU
KNOW if you like and at no cost.- but the answer is obvious isn't it?

.Another area you need to revisit concerns General Reserves. You say you
need to build up the Reserves and have therefore banked a recent rates
rebate of over £800k. Fair enough you could say. But now you intend to waste
½ M of this money-12% of current reserves- on costs of Management.!! What
sort of thinking is that?

You are also already overspent THIS year by hundreds of thousands in spite
of all the extra cash we have paid in. We believe that you urgently need to
look closely at all expenditure.
Perhaps the problem lies in areas of unnecesary spend such as the new
logo the cost of which is not available but was taken from existing budgets?
Or is it where you plan to spend £23m of our money on decorating lamp posts
and on chasing around tidying up after people and businesses who litter
their own doorstep.? What sort of thinking condones and rewards anti- social
behaviour at the expense of milking decent citizens?

It is the same sort of thinking that makes it right to take more money from
pensioners than they, themselves, are actually receiving in annual increases
How can anyone justify that?

Young people trying to better themselves- couples starting families- law
abiding folk who have done as they were asked to and saved and bought a
modest home, as well as the pensioners, are all seeing a decline in their
quality of life because of your actions. Surely your task is to improve it?

I would liken the frustration and anger that residents feel with the way
you felt when the recent decision to close down our Magistrates Court was
handed down to you! Quite rightly you spared no effort in lobbying from
Government downwards.
. We all feel the same way about what you are proposing on Council Tax and
will continue to oppose unreasonable increases as long as it takes!!

More and more local people want a greater say in the running of what
affects them. The Harrow Council Tax Campaign has brought together many
residents in a common cause and the Council has a great opportunity to work
together and in tune with the people's wishes. Hopefully you will take it..

THANK YOU