Check the envelope...

This week everyone in Babergh will receive their Council Tax Demand for the coming year. You will be pleased to see that the Babergh portion at least is unchanged from last year thanks to a grant from central government.

Once you have absorbed the Council Tax message, don't just throw the remaining contents of the envelope away since also enclosed will be vital information that you will need to make up your mind when deciding whether or not to vote for a full merger of Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils from 2013 onwards. The local poll, which will be conducted by post and electronically, will take place immediately after the District Council Elections on May 5th.

Both councils have already decided to share a Chief Executive Officer (on which more soon), and also to go as far as they can in combining their officer structures. Taking the further step of actually merging the two bodies into one however needs the support of the public.