It is not very often I find myself in agreement with Keighley’s Member of Parliament, but in respect of the article in this newspaper on December 19 – ‘Council tax rise warning’ – Kris Hopkins’s comments could almost make one consider voting for him at the next General Election.

When this town’s hard-pressed council taxpayers are already paying a record-breaking increase of nearly 73 per cent on the Keighley Town Council precept for this 2013/14 financial year, it’s simply immoral they will find themselves convalescing from yet another session of open-wallet surgery in the 2014/15 financial year, with KTC officials unsurprisingly as yet refusing to publicise the percentage figure for next year’s precept increase.

Mr Hopkins is quite right when he says KTC needs to examine its balance sheet. We need to adjust expenditure to align it with current income, rather than making unfunded increases in expenditure, and then having no option but to pass the bill to Keighley precept payers.Finances need to be re-balanced in order to fund a much-needed precept freeze.

Having said that, I feel it should be pointed out KTC’s budget really is just a drop in the ocean compared to that of Bradford District Council. The latter’s total budget for this year is £453 million, and KTC’s total budget is £507,000, which means Bradford MDC has £893.49 for every £1 KTC has In light of this, I cannot accept that Bradford MDC can in any way justify reducing KTC funding to the tune of more than £23,000, even if its own funding from national government has been reduced. Keighley Town Council performs vital work – the Civic Centre is an asset with huge potential for Keighley. However, KTC needs to attract more private sector income, particularly via, and for, the Civic Centre, to make up the shortfall in direct public funding and Bradford MDC subsidies.

Councillor Samuel Fletcher Bracken Bank and Ingrow ward