Madam,

Re Machynlleth Town Council and its proposed precept increase of 10 per cent. Last year the precept increase for Machynlleth Town Council was 21.8 per cent – not the 18.7 per cent they like to quote.

Another 10 per cent takes the Machynlleth precept to £172,000. The Cambrian News reported better news for much larger towns: Cardigan £83,995, no increase in three years; and Lampeter £41,000, no increase in six years.

So why does the much smaller of the three towns need so much? Could it be that it is run from a mansion with staff levels beyond the more traditional ‘town clerk in a rented office’. It includes running a usually empty cafe with a hygiene rating of 1 out of 5. Why does the town council seek to be in competition with hard-working cafe owners in the town and use taxpayers money to do it?

Enough is enough! Stop deciding how much you will spend then ask others to pay. Replace with firm budgetary control as practised in Cardigan and Lampeter successfully!

Yours etc, Terry Turner, Machynlleth.

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