COUNCIL TAX PAYERS' ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE 2002/03 BUDGET

1. The budget leaflet sent with each tax bill to around half a million council taxpayers in the administrative County invited those with questions about the County Council's budget to write, telephone or e-mail the Council, or consult its website. In total there were only 224 formal enquiries, 129 of which were dealt with at the Information Centres and 95 (principally involving more technical questions) by the Treasurer's Department. Taking the latter, 152 issues were raised by the 95 enquirers, but only 32 were complaints about the size of the council tax.

2. The Cabinet believes that the low level of complaints gives strong validation to the decision to set a below average council tax increase, with no cuts to services.

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