Tonight at North Herts District Council, Leader of the Council Martin Stears – Handscomb answered a question on the recent #counciltax rises and the local council tax bill. 

The question asked by Councillor for Letchworth East Sue Ngwala focused on the recent Tory Tax rises;

Could the Leader of the Council explain why the percentage increase of the County Council precept shown on the Council tax bill sent out is shown as 2%, when the actual increase is close to 4%?

Cllr. Stears-Handscomb replied to this;

Cllr Ngwala is correct the overall increase for the County Council is 3.99%, this is made up of two percentage changes, which we are required by the Government to show separately on the bill.

and after a follow-up question that asked whether this was misleading and dishonest said;

It is one thing for Conservative Councillors to vote against a 2% increase in North Herts – an increase forced on us by their government – and then vote for a 4% increase at the County Council the next day.  It is quite another thing to deliberately mislead the public on their Council tax bills!