It's often said by local councillors that the idea that there is waste in Town Halls or that council tax can be reduced is "simplistic" or foolish - it's impossible, they cry, if the TPA were councillors then you'd understand that. There's a great example out of Tower Hamlets today that shows that simply isn't true. The Opposition there have done great job of producing an alternative Budget which would cut waste and cut taxes by 1%.
Cllr Tim Archer's article is well worth a read and demonstrates the real potential for savings to be found when some thought and imagination are put into the task. Unsurprisingly, council publicity is high on the list of areas where sizeable savings can be made.
Imagine the difference this kind of thinking would make to ordinary people. When was the last time most of us got a council tax bill that was lower than the previous year's? Too many councils have got lazy and greedy, and we need more groundbreaking tax cutting proposals like this to shake them out of their stupor and get a good deal for taxpayers.