Surrey to hold a referendum...

They're expecting a "no". It's symbolic, so they can show central government that the people won't stand for it. Or gives them a mandate to cut services without looking like the villains.
 
Lord-Jaffa said:
Yeah no thanks, the elder generation has already enjoyed their life, im not paying even more for them when I can't even afford to buy a house here.
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Not ignore the fact most of the money will probably be used to prop up the council pension fund for a few more years.

Tefal said:
except they didn't.

the country is in huge debt that paid for that stuff, the last generation didnt even pay for themselves let alone the next.
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Most of those needling social care will be very old. 80s and 90s. They largely left this country in a much better financial situation than they found it. The burden should quite clearly fall upon their "there's more of us than there are of you" children.
 
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I would vote no personally if this was my Council - I did a lot of work over the years with the various Councils in Surrey and they are all inept, inefficient and incredibly wasteful.

Rather than moaning about lack of funds and bleating to central government, Councils need to start growing up and working harder and more efficiently.
 
I'd vote "no" - I don't understand really what Council tax pays for vs tax anyway

I pay double the Council tax in current house vs old house, same services ..... same bin size etc

to note though - I am all for paying more tax out of my income
 
Presumably this is an absolute last resort, & the council in question has got rid of all the clockwatchers & long term sick, is spending at record efficiency & has aligned its senior salaries more closely to those of similar levels of responsibility in the private sector?

I wish them good luck in the referendum :p
 
I would rather see council tax abolished and everything brought into general taxation with an increase in the rate of income tax.

That would likely raise more money anyway as higher earners would pay a higher percentage of the increase. Would also mean a better distribution of funds across the country. Council tax is crazy given you have large properties in parts of central London on bandings the same as 2 bed terraces in Manchester because of the valuation system. General taxation is the fairest way to ensure the funding comes from those who can most afford it. This way of funding social care will lead to a postcode lottery.

Find it strange taking this stance as I am a top 20% earner and usually lean to the right in my political views.
 
Tom_ed1987 said:
has aligned its senior salaries more closely to those of similar levels of responsibility in the private sector?
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How will inflating the wage bill help? :D I can't imagine senior management at a council are paid as much as senior management in a similar sized private sector organisation.
 
BDEE said:
I would rather see council tax abolished and everything brought into general taxation with an increase in the rate of income tax.

That would likely raise more money anyway as higher earners would pay a higher percentage of the increase. Would also mean a better distribution of funds across the country. Council tax is crazy given you have large properties in parts of central London on bandings the same as 2 bed terraces in Manchester because of the valuation system. General taxation is the fairest way to ensure the funding comes from those who can most afford it. This way of funding social care will lead to a postcode lottery.

Find it strange taking this stance as I am a top 20% earner and usually lean to the right in my political views.
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And this is what is going to stop those high earners from carrying on working. Look at doctors retiring at 55 because if they carry on working they will pay punitive rates of tax due to having maxed out their lifetime pension contributions. I myself am having to put more into my pension in order to avoid the 60% marginal rate of tax and any further pay rises will be salary sacrificed. I hope to also 'retire' when I'm 55 and just do the occasional bit of contracting when I can be bothered as it just wouldn't be worth continuing to work my balls off in order to pay such massive taxes.

I can then sit back and complain that other people don't pay enough tax in order to fund the NHS etc.
 
We simply don't pay enough tax to pay for everything we want. They just daren't start raising incoming tax. I would pay more council tax and income tax for better services.
 
danielanthony said:
I can then sit back and complain that other people don't pay enough tax in order to fund the NHS etc.
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You realise that you pay tax on income from your annuity when you start to draw the pension, right? You don't just stop paying tax because you retire and take your pension, assuming it provides income above the personal allowance.

Also we need those people to stop working. They are the generation where everything just "fell right" for them financially. Good to get them moved out the market so that the younger generation can start getting a foot up.
 
Damn, I must lower the average age a bit.

I would be looking at a £245 increase on my Band D property which I pay £1,638 a year on council tax.

Last year's increase was 3.7%. (Part of this increase was for Social care and straight some services were cut, well done)

As a one off I could stomach this but if this hike is going to be more of a regular thing then jog on.
 
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