CITY council leader Cllr Ian Barker offered us no accountability whatsoever in his 400-plus word letter headed 'It's not just about cuts' in the Citizen (November 4).

He says nothing about why the award-winning millennium bridge completed in 2001 requires unplanned expenditure of £50,000, what the situation is with the massive losses made by City Contract Services or why the council continues to make new staff appointments when he told us at the beginning of the year that there would be no new positions.

He advocates public/private sector partnering as the saviour when the town hall's track record of working with the private sector is abysmal - prime examples are Crinkly Bottom and Noel Edmonds or Barnfield Construction and the Winter Gardens.

I am pleased to read that cabinet members meet weekly to find economies and ways of running the council's business more effectively and more efficiently. So what has this achieved? The truth is a negative one because it is, indeed, all about cuts.

The exceptions are the salaries of top ranking officers, the expenses awarded to councillors and new staff accommodation. We are, indeed, paying more for less (eg fewer toilets and fewer festivals).

I repeat, don't increase your council tax payments beyond the current inflation rate... it is the only way to attain accountability for you, your children and future generations.

Mr S Williams, Torrisholme.