I HAVE followed with interest Messrs Wills and Bawden's arguments regarding our new level of council tax rise.

Mr Wills says "state the tax level" then "publish in the form of a binding referendum".

If rejected "go back to the drawing board and produce another one", (and so on ad-infinitum) "until an acceptable level is established".

This is ridiculous. Ask the taxpayers first, then, cut the coat according to the cloth. What rise, if any, will the taxpayers accept?

Mr Bawden states "a referendum will cost between £70,000 and £100,000, organised by the Electoral Reform Society.

This also seems ridiculous! Let's do it ourselves.

The tax alteration, if any, could be simply established by all taxpayers, at their own cost of a second-class stamp, writing to the council leader stating their choice of alteration, if any.

A weighted average of the percentages would then give the "binding referendum" result that Mr Wills proposed.

So, Messrs Wills and Bawden, stop blaming each other and the Government for the funding level, and get on with it!

And get some efficiency into the spending on those groups which benefit the community and the town as a whole, cutting out the others (you will know which ones!) as a starting point. (From rises to date I have seen no improvements!)

From the taxpayers, a simple note: Name and address, followed by My proposed tax level is (then a percentage plus or minus) on last year.

KEN GIBBS

The Mall