As City of York Council starts its annual battle to balance to the books, I suggest a possible long-term solution - scrap the expensive and unessential layer of government known as local councillors.

We have seen by their actions over the Coppergate II scheme that they ignore the wishes of the electorate.

We know from experience that some of them are barely literate and we know many of the schemes they put forward are a waste of money.

We have a county representative, a national representative, and European representative and, apart from all these, we have paid representatives in their own fields employed by the council.

Do we really need to pay local councillors?

Do we really need local councillors?

Derek M Martin,

Fulford Road, York.