Councillors in Burntwood have been told their decision to increase council tax bills for local residents is “morally wrong”.

Cllr Wai-Lee Ho
Cllr Wai-Lee Ho

Members of Burntwood Town Council backed a planned rise of 4% at a meeting earlier this week.

The Conservatives had put forward an alternative budget to allow for a 5% cut in council tax instead.

But the proposals for the increase were backed by Labour representatives as well as independent and Lib Dem councillors.

Cllr Wai-Lee Ho, Conservative member for Highfields ward, said councillors had effectively agreed to a 9% increase on council tax had his own party’s proposal been accepted – a move he branded “morally wrong”.

“We have over £600,000 in reserves with no legal obligation to provide any statutory services.

“In my opinion it is morally wrong o ask our community to cough up more money.

“The right thing to do was to be able to say to the people of our town that we know it’s been hard for them over the last 18 months, so to help we are reducing their tax bill.”

Cllr Wai-Lee Ho

Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the town council, said Cllr Ho should be “very careful” before making such comments.

“Questioning an individual’s morals is not for me or Cllr Ho to judge.

“This isn’t about morality – it’s about a different political perspective on what’s right for our town.

“You have to be very careful and have strong evidence when you make accusations about people’s morals but I’ll put this unfortunate comment down to youthful over-enthusiasm this time.”

Cllr Sue Woodward

Labour’s Cllr Steve Norman had also criticised Cllr Ho and other colleagues who sit on either Lichfield District Council or Staffordshire County Council for not pursuing cuts at other levels of local government which would have produced a greater saving for residents.

“If the district councillors, who are also town councillors, had voted for a 5% reduction then it would mean a £9.01 cut in council tax, and for any county councillors also voting for a 5% cut, it would be a saving of £64.80.

“I voted for an increase of 3.15p a week or £1.64 for the whole year for the plans we have to make us a better Burntwood.”

Cllr Steve Norman

But Cllr Ho said the decision by Burntwood Town Council had created a significant rise based on what the alternative Conservative budget would have delivered.

“I was disappointed that Labour, the Liberal Democrat member and the independent member voted to increase Burntwood’s share of the council tax.

“They effectively chose to ask our struggling residents to pay 9% more than what the Conservatives proposed.

“Cllr Norman said he would be taking note of how many people who are members of the district and county council voted to use for future reference – well I will also be keeping an eye on which members supported a tax increase at a parish council which does not provide anywhere near the number of services or employ the number of people as the district or county council does.”

Cllr Wai-Lee Ho
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Joanne Grange
2 years ago

I’m greatly looking forward to Cllr Ho applying the same logic at Lichfield District Council discussions on council tax and seeing what level of reduction he proposes for LDC. After all, the reserves held by LDC run into £millions and a lot of what LDC does doesn’t fall under the heading of statutory services so it’s exactly the same situation.

Michael Galvin
2 years ago

I didn’t hear a peep from him when national insurance was raised, I didn’t hear anything about the triple lock being scrapped on pensions. It’s strange what is morally wrong to him and what isn’t?