Should big spending Parish Councils be capped?
Next month voters be deciding who runs their town hall and taking part in a referendum on whether should change the voting system in future general elections.
On 5 May, many people will also be deciding who serves on their local parish or town council.
In recent years some areas have seen a big increase in their parish council bills and some are now questioning why they're not subject to the same austerity measures as other public bodies.
Depending on who you speak to, Saxilby in Lincolnshire, could be described as a large village or a small town. But there's no doubting the parish council here has big ambitions - due largely to one man.
Since accountant Peter Odam took charge three years ago, spending on local projects has more than doubled. The parish council now has five full-time staff, including a sports and youth development officer. It also pays for grounds maintenance and is in negotiations about taking over the local library.
Saxilby Parish Council even runs a community centre bar - much to the annoyance of some in the local pub trade.
The current parish precept for a Band D household in the village is more than £100 for the coming year. That's the highest sum in the area.
Parish Council Chairman Peter Odam told me he had no regrets about raising the parish precept, saying he was only responding to feedback from local residents who were willing to pay more for better services.
But one Saxilby resident - who happens to be a former councillor - told me he believed parish spending should be capped in the same way local authorities are limited in the amount they can raise from taxpayers.
Many parish and town councils are trying to shake off their 'Vicar of Dibley' image and see themselves as fulfilling an important role providing services which have been lost elsewhere.
But that role comes at a price and householders across the country must decide whether it's a price worth paying.
I'm Tim Iredale, the BBC's Political Editor in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and presenter of the regional Politics Show. This is strictly a "no-spin" zone where the political viewpoint is more Humber Bridge than Westminster Bridge. Your comments and observations are more than welcome. 
Comment number 1.
At 12:19 2nd Apr 2011, InterestExplorer wrote:We need to empower our public services to RAISE money. This is achieved - as Adam Smith knew - by maximising the use of under-exploited assets. Can councils offer underused office blocks / vacant council houses to local businesses at low rents? Can Police Forces charge weathly football clubs just a few thousand pounds more for policing matches? Can NHS consultants be empowered to exploit their NHS positions by selling expertise to other countries so long as the NHS gets a share of the earnings?
We need to see the benefits of thinking flexibly, and deal with the problems that stand in the way of individual ideas reaching fruition, instead of using those problems as an excuse to do nothing, or we will get overtaking by more energetic, less hidebound countries.
Work harder, work smarter
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