Ramsey Commissioners are against all-island centralisation and collection of non-domestic rates as mooted in the Cabinet Office’s consultation on modernisation of the rating system.

They think that centralisation would be detrimental to them and all other local authorities that need to predict expenditure and plan their budgets in advance so that services can run smoothly.

Board member Luke Parker said: ’As a local authority, we need to be able to budget for the year ahead, while rating fairly and consistently to all who use our services. Offering discounts, variable rates and subsidies creates problems, not only for forecasting budgets, but makes rate setting very difficult.

’An all-island centralised non-domestic rate and rate collection would be detrimental to any local authority. All non-domestic properties still use the same services as everyone else and the funding is still required to perform these services e.g. waste collection, street cleaning etc.’

He proposed that their response should be in the form of an overall consensus, rather than each question answered individually. This was agreed and their submission will read as follows:

lAll properties should be judged on the same criteria i.e. square footage regardless of location.

lNo subsidies or discounts should be granted to government bodies or charitable organisations or in respect of dilapidated buildings.

lNo to a centralised non-domestic rate and rate collection.

lTo allow a discount for prompt payment.

lA penalty fee to be applied to payments.

Douglas Council leader David Christian has voice his oppostion too.

As last week’s Manx Independent reported, Policy Minister Chris Thomas says that the government had not fixed a policy on the issue. The consultation was only ’presenting the facts’.