Petition against Shifnal tax rise is online

A new online petition has been set up in protest against council tax increases in Shifnal of up to 441 per cent.

It also calls for plans to appoint new council staff to be dropped and has been signed by 30 people in two days.

But Shifnal mayor Ron Jowett today hit out at six rebel councillors who have called for an extraordinary general meeting on the issue. He claimed "misleading" statements prompted the petition and the ill-feeling.

Mr Jowett has published an open letter on the council's website explaining the tax rise, which also refutes claims rules were broken when the decision was made.

He said today: "I object in the strongest possible terms that members of the public are being misled and this council is being brought into contempt and disrepute and I will be seeking legal counsel on this matter.

"I also find it astonishing that one of the six calling for this meeting actually voted for the precept requirement and another abstained."

He claimed one of the rebels also proposed one of the planned new posts.

The mayor's backlash comes after six councillors called for a meeting to challenge both the tax rise and the proposed new jobs.

Resident Marilyn Morton launched the online petition supporting the rebels and she said a further written petition was now circulating around the town.

Mrs Morton, 67, said: "There are so many people very angry about this as there was no consultation and no-one was aware of it.

"I've had absolutely no involvement in politics in the past but I just feel so aggrieved that after living in Shifnal since 1967 that this is happening."

Councillor Gordon Tonkinson, one of the six rebels, said: "We know that the outrageous tax rise stands. But we want to challenge the undemocratic way they brought this in and try to stop them using this money as they have planned - appointing unnecessary new posts."

Town clerk Fiona Thomas said the tax hike was prompted by a one-off low charge in 2010/11, when the council budgeted for repairs at the former magistrates' court which were not carried out.

View the mayor's letter, at www.shifnaltowncouncil.org and the petition at www.petition.co.uk/shifnaltowncounciltaxrise

By Danny Carden