I am writing to give my view on last week’s piece in the Chronicle on the potential merger of South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council .

In response to the part about the South Hams’ council tax rising to meet west Devon’s, why can’t we go the other way and reduce west Devon’s tax down to the level of the South Hams’?

I believe, if a poll was taken in the South Hams on this subject, the taxpayers would totally agree. I for one am fed up with the South Hams doing everything to appease west Devon. Also, if west Devon goes bust and we have to take it on anyway, then make its taxpayers pay for the extra funding.

Why should we pay? We are paying enough to run our own council without paying for other councils’ bad judgements.

Also, as for the ‘taking on’ of assets from South Hams, our council tax should be reduced by the full amount of tax that west Devon takes from us, and with an extra amount for the fact that West Devon Council has deliberately run down doing a proper amount of repair and maintenance to the Dartmouth area just to save money.

It appears to me that SHDC wants to get rid of anything that costs it money, while retaining things such as the ferry and car parks, which make money for it.

I don’t think it can have its cake and eat it, can it?

Kevin Hyland

Jubilee Close, Dartmouth