MADAM - So, East Devon District Council has set a zero increase in its portion of the Council Tax for the coming year.

MADAM - So, East Devon District Council has set a zero increase in its portion of the Council Tax for the coming year. It has done so purely for political posturing and for short term headlines as it is fully aware that most of the Council Tax bill is attributed to Devon County Council's spending plans. The REALITY of this ridiculous decision is that most of us will save a whopping 15p or 20p a week, and yet the Leader, Sara Randall Johnson is trying her best to convince us all that this is about helping families and pensioners. Exactly who are you trying to kid with that sleight of hand? If you were truly serious about making life easier for the rest of us in the REAL world you wouldn't be spending a quarter of a MILLION pounds on a fruitless appeal against the Boundary Commission, and instead you would undertake a thorough review of some of the bloated and unnecessary spending that takes place at the Knowle. The short sightedness of a decision to use �2m of Reserves to prop up unsustainable spending purely for a short term political gesture is the politics of madness. The result of this will be borne by all of us next year when you have to face the reality of cutting spending and without having another �2m of reserves to use. This will lead to service reductions twice as bad next year rather than doing what was right this year. Sara Randall Johnson you deserve the 'Political Empty Gesture Award' for such a crass, short-term and politically motivated decision.

Tony Badcock

21 Slade Close

Ottery St Mary