Rates and water charges - just curious.....

giwebb

Have all households received their estimate yet? From what I read on the water reform website they should have been sent out early 2007. Haven't heard anything yet.

Will the second years water rates be based on property values in January 2006 and not the january 2005 values? Couldn't find this on the website.

IvanOpinion

Whereabouts are you ... have your neighbours received theirs?

Next years will be based on the 2005 valuations .. I think the next revaluation is due to occur in 2010 ... when house prices will probably have doubled (there could be a lot of swearing going on about then)

Ivan

leftieM

The government wouldn't be nasty enough to double rates just because house prices have doubled :rolleyes:.

I love reading the guff that's coming through from the politicos about water charges. Especially the DUP - saying they have a better bargaining position when they aren't in government. If that's the case why hasnt anything happened yet? They haven't been in government yet - they should have achieved loads!

shaz77_2

I was reading yesterday the DUP claimed water charges were a deal breaker, pure lies I feel as with all the main parties on this issue.

leftieM

The trust in out elected representatives is heartening!
There's another election next week apparently. Yippee! Another waste of public money.

shaz77_2

They all claim to be against water charges but are not going to do anything about them. What about this massive peace deal whats it going to be wasted on?

IvanOpinion

shaz77 wrote:

They all claim to be against water charges but are not going to do anything about them. What about this massive peace deal whats it going to be wasted on?

Well so far we have wasted about 15-20% (of the £2billion) on public enquiries and are likely to waste significantly more on highly selective extracts from recent history. A significant chunk more has been wasted on various North/South, East/West bodiesw and various quangos that seem to deliver very little .. even more has been wasted on bloating out an already very very bloated civil service in NI (which is unsustainable, but historically handy for employing people ... some 57% of the working population work directly for the civil service and a further 18% indirectly thats 3 in 4 workers in NI ... proper jobs is what is needed). Personally I would prefer to see peace dividend money spent on core services in health, education and infrastructure to benefit everybody, spent on our future (not our past) but unfortunately pigs do not fly.

Do not fall for line from the political parties at the minute they ALL know that whoever is in power is going to have to find a lot more money ... we can not keep running with our begging bowl to the UK government every five minutes ... NI probably will never be able to stand on its own two feet (it just isn't big enough but we have to stop this 'poor little us' attitude and start taking responsibility and designing our own future ... however we still seem to want to waste hundreds of millions on the past.

So far this week i have heard some parties wanting local control over taxation, we haven't even proven we are mature enough to govern ourselves why the hell would I want amateurs dictating tax levels to me to fund their lifestyles and rewarding laziness. Worse still some elements in SF have shown they have not left their criminal background behind behind by suggesting postmen should not deliver water related stuff and council workers should not process them ... now isn't that mature .. maybe everybody in this little province can take a similar attitude ... I could say that I don't want postmen or council workers to process my return to the inland revenue, or process any benefits or salaries to MLAs who do not even do the job they are paid to do.

I really am having trouble understanding how some people are falling for the lies, hypocrisy and mis information coming from all the parties ... all parties KNOW that we need more money and we either raise it in Northern Ireland or we go begging to the UK (again) or possibly ROI for more money (rest of the British and Irish people will then start asking as to why they still have to fund us .. their patience is rightly wearing thin).

Ivan

giwebb

I'm not the best educated person in the world. I need things explained to me.

My problem with the whole thing is I have not been provided with any information to explain why I am suddenly going to be paying £400 (guesstimating this amount, still haven't received any info) a year out of my hard earned pay. All I've ever had is a leaflet saying that the Government has decided to reform water and sewerage services, not explaining why. The leaflet tells me the government need £3 billion over the next 20 years and it then goes on to compare what we pay in overall taxation compared to the rest of the UK, which to me is a separate argument. I wouldn't hand £400 over to anyone else without a good explanation. Before I pay this I want to know simple facts and figures

a. why the water service has been underfunded
b. what exactly the £3 billion over the next 20 years is for
c. what were/are we investing each year
d. will every penny go to the water & sewerage infrastructure or is it going to be redirected to health/education etc
e. why is it based on the rateable value of my house

...and i don't want it in a 300 page indecipherable document either

agal

mcclim wrote:

It will be interesting to see how much we will be charged for the emptying of a septic tank ?

Today I received a letter from the Northern Ireland Water Service terminating the agreement for "discretionary free service for the emptying of septic tanks." The letter goes on to say;

"Although we are terminating current Agreements, we will be offering an extended discretionary septic tank emptying service after 1 April. Charges for the new service will be phased in over the next two years (1/3 in year 2007/08, 2/3 in year 2008/09 with the full rate being applied in 2009/10). The new charges have still to be confirmed however we anticipate that they will start at around £25 for a request to empty a standard septic tank in 2007/08."

So there we have it, starting at £75 in three years time and no doubt increasing annually thereafter.

Wonder how much second-hand sluury tankers are?:D

darwin-rover

giwebb wrote:

http://www.wewontpaycampaign.com/

Very , very BIG risk . Most of the arguments for not paying water charges dont stand up . If it goes to court , the judge will ask "why arent you paying , can you not afford to" , "no your honour , I just dont want to , as I havent been charged before" .
The "double tax" argument doesnt stand up either . Yes we were paying for it in our rates NOW, but as of this April the Water board is becoming a Go-Co (government company). It will be self-financed and will not be receiving much if any money from our normal rates bills .
And yes they cant cut off your water , but what about sewage . The water rates bill includes sewage costs as well as water costs .

Yes its crappy that we have to pay now , I bought a house in 2005 and its an uphill struggle paying the bills , but as 1 poster said above , we've been underpaying for years . A lot of countries have it FAR worse .