WITH elections becoming one of the key topics of discussion at the moment, and the rise to 'fever pitch' no doubt imminent as the nation awaits official confirmation of the 2010 election date, it seems feelings are running high already.
However, this time it’s not about who will win or even about by how much, but about when the counting of the votes takes place.
Harrogate Council’s returning officer, its Chief Executive, has decided to delay counting the votes until the day after
the election, as opposed to starting the eagerly-awaited count straight after voting closes.
A number of people including our Parliamentary Prospective Candidates, are against this. There are those who like to stay up late watching the votes come in, and it’s understandable that a delay in hearing the results slightly takes the edge of the atmosphere and excitement!
Whether an about turn will be taken by Harrogate Council doesn’t appear likely, but peoples’ opinions on this are of interest and there’s likely to be debate.
On a different note, albeit still of a council nature, it’s pleasing that all three councils, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and Knaresborough Town Council are recommending keeping the increase to our annual council tax rates to an absolute minimum.
This is entirely appropriate considering the country is only just emerging out of a severe recession. The last thing householders needed was a hefty rise in their council tax levels.
Knaresborough, particularly, has always kept its precept low; indeed it is the lowest of any town council in the county, and Knaresborough people, many of whom feel the town suffers from the burden of ‘double taxation’, will acknowledge and welcome this.
