I HAVE just received my council tax bill.

It is the only bill we do not have control over. We can cut down on food, water, gas and electricity, but there is no buffer against rising council tax.

Why are the council tax and the television licence fee the only two taxes where nonpayment is a criminal offence carrying a possible prison sentence? Local authorities have become multi-million pound corporations headed by BBC-style salaried chief executives, run, it seems for the benefit and ambitions of well-paid councillors.

Now we are told that they are ‘cabinet’ members and ‘portfolio holders’ — talk about inflating their egos.

And talking of delusions of grandeur we now have a ‘mayor’ in charge of the Andover Town Council.

Rubbish is collected fortnightly, if you are lucky, and the roads are so potholed we are resembling a Third World country. How often are the roads swept? All we see is inefficiency, waste and poor service.

Just look at the mess planners have and are making of our beautiful towns and villages.

When the Thatcher government tried to bring in a fairer tax system there were riots.

The idea was that if ‘everyone’ had to contribute their share towards the council services, they would take more of an interest and make sure that their elected representatives would be more accountable by being more efficient and less wasteful, and of course it would be cheaper for all in the long-run.

Instead a good part of this tax is paid by a minority of the electorate – the sort of people who are least likely to take to the streets.

It’s a pity that there is no law to make all councils ‘apolitical’. Then we would have genuine representation by people dedicated to our borough and not to national dogma and self-interest.

Mr D Skinner, Bishops Way, Andover