Relief to have medal returned

payments – for example, government-owned land, highsalaried adults still residing in the family household and tenants paying rents that do not reflect the full cost of rates due to market forces.

It is unfair also that the level of rates for an individual property is determined by its valuation. That has no correlation with the number of people residing in a dwelling or the use of local services and scarce resources, such as water.

Another issue is that not only are councils faced with the problem of generating income from ratepayers to provide core services for all residents and visitors, but they were a few years ago required to take on the Government’s responsibility for the economic and social well-being of all its citizens.

Surely that is the responsibility of the Government in a country with only 4.5 million people.

There was a time when councils predominantly provided services to property, which was funded by ratepayers.

Councils are now expected to pay for an increasing array of services and the ever-growing aspirations of local communities, providing facilities that are often only used by a small percentage of the population or tourists.

Despite the ever-changing role of local government, charges on property owners still remain the principal source of revenue.

In properties of similar value, a single household occupant should not be paying more than a family of eight.

Rates are not meant to be a means of social engineering and the challenge for government politicians is to find an alternative to property taxes to ensure that everyone fairly contributes.

My suggestion, as recommended by a committee that A big thank you to the person who found and handed in our lost medal to the RSA in Titahi Bay.

Our granddaughter wore