IT is interesting that in his synthetic diatribe against Osbaldwick Parish Council ( 'Homes row sets off new salvo', March 28) city council leader Steve Galloway accuses the parish council of "using taxpayers' money" for political purposes.

But isn't this exactly what Coun Galloway did in February when he dictated - against the wishes of ward councillors such as myself - that the city council ward bulletins, Your Ward, must carry an article promoting his Lib Dem party's stunt of the so-called "referendum" on the increase in the council tax?

He insisted on giving space to the results of the stunt - carried out at the taxpayers' expense to the tune of £10,000 - and used the outcome to justify his double inflation increase on the tax, despite the fact that less than five per cent of the adult population of York "voted".

Coun Galloway would do well to

Coun Galloway would do well to read the "regulations covering the publication of material at public expense" before he smears a parish council when jumping to defend a political crony who should have known he had compromised himself on the Derwenthorpe development.

He should keep his party political propaganda to his Lib Dem Focus leaflets which so regularly seek to mislead the residents of York.

Coun Sandy Fraser,

Micklegate ward,

Millfield Road, York.

Updated: 09:35 Thursday, April 07, 2005