Scrapping and replacing council tax crucial to local govt reform
Scrapping and replacing Scotland’s unfair council tax system must be at the heart of local government reform, say the Scottish Greens.
The call comes as the Scottish Government publishes plans to reform local government, including the possible creation of a smaller number of regional authorities focused on strategic decision-making, alongside ‘community authorities’ with a stronger focus on local decisions.
Last month, the Scottish Greens’ local government spokesperson, Kristopher Leask MSP, published proposals for two tiers of government. Kristopher has welcomed the shift in direction but warned that it can only succeed if both tiers are properly funded and empowered.
Kristopher Leask MSP said:
“We need to give councils and communities real power, and create a system that works for the people it is meant to serve.
“That must start with funding our councils properly. We need to finally scrap the broken council tax system and replace it with a fairer way of funding local services like schools and libraries.
“Nobody can seriously say the current system is working, least of all the Scottish Government, when its own research shows less than 1 in 5 Scots feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area. We cannot keep kicking the can down the road when the funding model is so clearly broken.
“While the changes secured by the Scottish Greens allowing councils to tax tourists and second homes were a step forward, they do not fix the fundamental problems with the outdated and unfair funding system that our councils have been stuck with. This in turn impacts their ability to deliver the front-line services we all rely on.”
“The Scottish Government’s emphasis on regional councils and community authorities is a welcome shift and if done properly and fairly it could broadly align with Green proposals.
“But structural reform will only work if these bodies have the powers and funding they need. That means community authorities should have full control over planning and other vital local decisions, as well as sustainable funding."
Co-convenor of the Association of Scottish Green Councillors, Alys Mumford, said:
“A lot of councillors are understandably sceptical about the Scottish Government’s commitment to localism. This reform will be a crucial test.
“Councils and councillors must be at the heart of any restructure if we are serious about putting power closer to the communities they serve.”