Nottingham City Council agrees council tax rise and £17 million of savings

“@vexed...If its true that council staff get free travel on the tram, that's outrageous!

Why should they get free travel?”

“In stead of charging more in taxes, why do council staff have free travel on the trams? If they were charge staff the same as members of the public they wouldn't have to put taxes up.
That is unless they are using the money to try and replace the mature trees they have cut down so they can builds their toy train set.”

“A dog was loose in Wollaton Park for 5 weeks and the dog wardens did nothing. Their view was "the dog has been fine so far so it'll be fine from now on"

The dog warden service are a waste of time and resources.”

“Vox_Populii - It's a nice thought but I suspect the red amount of red tape involved in service provision and not least the potential for litigation rules out common sense solutions. Few people are going to engage in such activities if there's a chance, however slim, their entire livelihoods/homes/savings etc could be wiped out in the event of a successful claim against them.”

“New rules on benefits, mean benefit claimants previously entitled to a 100% rebate on their council tax will, from now on have to pay a proportion of it...Not a lot, but a contribution all the same.

Maybe this will eat into Labour's vote come the next council election?

Time will tell.”

“Where are the community co-ops which should be rising to the challenge of helping deliver local services? That'd be a poke in the eye to the Coalition and keep services out of the hands of profiteers, which is where it seems to be going.

Put services in the hands of the local people who know exactly what's needed; probably far more efficient than a very expensive someone dictating from a distant office based on theory and presumption.

It's time for people power!”

“Given the fact that 40% of councils across the country, including Tory councils, have rejected the grant to freeze council tax, how can Councillor Culley's stance be seen as anything other than hipocricy?

Isn't it the case that Town Halls up and down the country, as well as some the so called National Union of Ministers, are saying 1 loud and clear thing on Osbornomics. It's hurting, and it isn't working.”

“colliinn - You're absolutely right. Who needs the roads mending anyway? And as for children's services, they shouldn't be driving at their age. And Dog Wardens, do dogs even use libraries?

soraya - Too right. Who needs an efficient, safe, low polluting transport network. Where's the future in it? It's not like any other cities have populations that travel. What on earth were the council thinking?

Bloomin councillors.”

“Oh for heaven's sake. Trams -- maybe a good idea, maybe a bad idea. Personally I don't have very strong views one way or the other (which if the correspondents on this site are to be believed is a rare attitude indeed, but actually seems to be shared by most real people I know). However, it wasn't paid for out of Council Tax, and if it hadn't been built we would still be facing the same shortfall leading to the same combination of a rise in Council Tax and a cut in spending.”

“How much of this will be offset by the bedroom tax and the fact claimants previously entitled to 100% of their council tax will be forced to pay, I believe 14%, themselves?

And as for Georgina Culley's 'point', why isn't this explained beyond appearing to suggest the government are offering the council free money and the council have responded by saying "Free money, arm, no thanks, that's the last thing we need"?

And where do folks believe that 1%, the 'free money' comes from anyway?

What a terrible article.”