If government applies an all-island rate, as is being proposed, it would spell ‘the abolition of local authorities’, said Castletown commissioner Andrew Thomas, who called for a reduction in tax.
The authority was considering an email from Treasury executive officer Michael Morrison about the findings of a consultation into the reform of the domestic rating system.
Most of the 1,484 respondents wanted properties to be revalued and to be based on capital – not rental – value and that domestic property should be placed within one of nine property tax bands. Considering how property tax should be collected most favoured an all-island basis and then allocated to local authorities according to needs.
Commissioners’ clerk Eddie Convery said: ‘You probably heard Allan Bell talking about rates. There is a lot of contention in relation to an all island rate system. Just over 50 per cent said yes. Our stance was no, we did not think it was fair.’
Mr Thomas said: ‘If they go ahead with what they are suggesting, that is the abolition of local authorities. There is no point in us being here.’
He added: ‘To share more responsibility [by taking over more services from central government] is fine, but only if we get the resources to do it. If government is notproviding certain services, can we have an income tax reduction?’
Chairman Alwyn Collister said: ‘I’m extremely worried it will be more expensive on Castletown rate payers.’
Mr Thomas said: ‘It’s not our fault central government messed up their finances.’
Colin Leather said: ‘Government are in this financial situation. They cannot do everything.
‘It’s the way of the world. I do not think we can expect anything else.’
Previously, Mr Bell had said in order to enable funding to be evenly distributed, local authorities would all have to provide the same quality and number of services – and that this could really only happen with the restructuring of the local government system to provide fewer, bigger authorities.