I WRITE regarding the letters from Coun Vassie (December 27), Coun Hall (December 28) and others about the Your City leaflet asking electors for their opinion on the level of council tax increase.

If the council asks people their opinion and gets an answer it doesn't like, the respondents can hardly be called the "angry brigade".

To ask electors for an opinion without providing them with comprehensive details is bound to result in emotional responses rather than a balanced and logical reply.

To give realistic opinions electors would need to have detailed answers for each question posed if either "yes" or "no" were given. It is not sufficient to say something may result.

They would require full details of what expenditure is a statutory requirement and what is discretionary or on a wish list.

Each person has his or her own priorities and the replies will reflect this, so the answers received will only reflect those who reply.

It is not a balanced view or necessarily the opinion of the whole electorate.

The needs of the most vulnerable and those less able to pay must be protected (those people may be less likely to reply to this type of exercise).

"A zero increase in council tax is not possible". Why not? Anything is possible given the will and the acceptance that hard commercial decisions may have to be made.

Councillors are elected to make decisions on our behalf.

They are probably the only ones who have all the facts to make balanced judgements.

They stand or fall in a democracy at the ballot box if they get it wrong.

AL Dixon,

Coggan Way,

Bishopthorpe,

York.

Updated: 09:40 Wednesday, January 05, 2005