ONE-in-five residents who took part in York council's budget poll used it to slam the authority

But council chiefs today vowed to continue with the controversial idea despite the criticism.

Details requested under the Freedom Of Information Act, showed more than 20 per cent of the 7,500 responses came with a critical swipe.

A total of 1,755 poll cards with additional comments were sent to the Guildhall - and more than ten per cent said a zero per cent council tax hike should have been an option.

The poll card, posted before Christmas, offered residents the choice of a five, seven-and-a-half or ten per cent tax rise. No space was officially provided for additional views, so residents wanting to comment further were left with little choice but to scrawl notes around the three tick boxes.

Liberal Democrats were yesterday afternoon due to recommend a rise of 4.96 per cent at a budget executive meeting. This comes after 54 per cent of residents who took part in the consultation, not a binding referendum, plumped for five per cent.

But new details about protest comments outline the unpopularity of the exercise with some sections of the city. About 170 of the 1,755 "comment cards" called for no tax rise. Six per cent accused the council of "passing the buck". Four per cent objected to any inflation-busting increase, while the same number demanded greater Guildhall efficiency. Other comments included calls to stop wasting cash on "gimmicks" (three per cent), cut councillors' pay (two per cent) and to manage staff sickness better (one per cent).

Gripes also came from cash-strapped pensioners (three per cent), while the council listed one per cent of feedback as "general abuse".

Cards were sent to 82,000 York homes at a cost just short of £10,000.

Labour councillors said the comments backed their concerns about the lack of a below-inflation rise choice.

But Lib Dem leader Steve Galloway said the response was the highest recorded for any council consultation exercise.

"We welcome constructive input into the budget debate," he said, stating that political opponents tried to organise a "write in" vote for a rate-of-inflation hike.

"But it was singularly unsuccessful - with more people actually voting for the ten per cent rise option."

He understood why people on low incomes did not want an increase, and renewed calls for a "fairer" local income tax based on ability to pay.

Coun Galloway, who vowed to continue such polls, said a zero per cent rise was unrealistic. "Even the five per cent option has involved cutting more than £6 million from budgets, resulting in complaints from some about the effect this may have."

Labour leader Dave Merrett said the council needed to look at a "more satisfactory" consultation process in future.

Updated: 09:55 Saturday, February 12, 2005