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Liberal Democrats on Kent County CouncilThe Official Opposition on Kent County Council |
Kent Tories Reject Fairer Council Tax Call
July 19, 2002 12:00 AM
County Hall Conservatives yesterday refused to back a call by Trudy Dean, Leader of KCC Liberal Democrats for Council Tax to be related to the ability to pay.
Council Tax is not related to income, but to house valuation. Owners of the largest most expensive homes pay only three times as much as owners of the smallest cheapest homes. Each year Council Tax goes up much faster than wages or pensions. So Council Tax is an unfair system, which becomes more unfair each year.
But KCC Tory Spokesman Nick Chard said that Council Tax was well understood, easily collected and popular. He said relating Council Tax to income would make it more difficult for people to escape the poverty trap.
Mike Eddy leader of KCC Labour Group lent his support to the proposal. He said:
"The Local Government Association is prepared to look at this, yet Kent Tories are determined to stick to a system which is unfair."
After the debate Trudy said:
"It is incredible that Kent Conservatives oppose making Council Tax fair. The days when Tories simply looked after the rich are clearly still with us."