SIR, My compliments to Cumbria County Council for allowing me to offer my views on the burning issue of council tax expenditure to fund highway maintenance through the medium of your columns with a cut-out slip for freepost return. We must be proud to be given the privilege to contribute to local democracy.

There must be serious problems in administering this new policy however, because I did not see the same facility offered to electors when the increases above inflation in emoluments for council employees, especially at the higher grades, and the increases in allowances for councillors, were also being debated. I assume the slips were sent out through the Gazette?

This system of consulting electors about major decisions will thrust Cumbria County Council, and, I hope all other local authorities, into the 21st Century. It must be justified if the council takes the trouble to seek the opinion of residents.

However, we need to consider that all readers of the Gazette are not registered voters; some may not even reside in the area; others who commented may not be Council Tax payers; and what should I do when her indoors' wants to add her views as there was only one return slip in my copy?

Malcolm K. McCrindle, Kendal

February 7, 2003 16:00