I, the undersigned, believe Councillor John Burden and the Council are wrong to be raising council tax and town centre parking fees at a time when hard-working residents are struggling with the economic crisis. Gravesham's council tax rise is one of the highest in the country, and has risen 81% since 2001. The law says that councils who raise tax by more than 3.5% should have a referendum but councillors have been cowardly by raising the tax to 3.48%. The Council should have accepted the money offered by the government instead (equivalent to a 2.5% rise) or let the public vote on the budget. Raising parking fees will hurt the town centre by making it more expensive to shop. As a result, more people will shop online or at Bluewater, more shops will close and valuable jobs in the local area will be lost. Gravesham Council is wrong to be squeezing yet more money from local residents in these difficult times.