COUNCIL tax payers of Caerphilly CB Council have to ask themselves what they think their council will look like by the next election, in May 2017? Also, how much do they think they will be paying for it?

They realise some wards have enjoyed more and better services than others and don't see this as fair.

Further cuts of £13m were proposed to discretionary services at the April meeting of the council. This time, the Labour Party, which has political control, 50-23, will have to show its fairness in how these cuts will impact upon each ward.

They will need to show exactly how much each ward is worth to the council, producing income and expenditure accounts for each service delivered to the wards. Only this way can decisions be made fairly and accurately. I agree with the unions, voluntary retirement and redundancies should be offered in the first instance.

As for privatisation, one solution would be staff management buyouts, based on the John Lewis model, where each employee has part-ownership of the company., a share of its annual profits, and a say in how it is run. Cllr Mrs Anne Blackman Nelson Ward Independent Treharris