Readers will have seen the report in the Evening Press of proposals for drastic cuts in services facing the North Yorkshire Social Services Committee (January 18).

This depressing situation has arisen because of the disastrously low budget the Government has set for our county council for providing its services for the year 1999/2000.

It is the second lowest financial settlement of the shire counties and means that the education, environment and highways and social services departments will all be facing cuts.

This is why the county council is currently consulting the people through parish and town councils on its proposed to raise the Council Tax by 7.5 per cent rather than the 4.5 per cent recommended by the Government.

The extra three per cent would raise an additional £3 million which would be divided equally between the three departments.

The need to make cuts has hit social services the hardest - therefore the additional million from the proposal rise in Council Tax would be used to reduce the severity of the cuts in existing services. Without the extra monies the budget gap would be over £4 million.

Many vulnerable people will have their support services reduced or cut altogether if the proposals are implemented.

We must protect our services, so I appeal to all caring and thinking people to support the proposal to raise the Council Tax to 7.5 per cent. The additional money is desperately needed for our schools, roads and the care of those unable to cope without help.

Micky Johnson,

Vice Chairman,

North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations,

Carlton Miniott Business Park,

Thirsk.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.