I am sure I was not alone in being pleasantly surprised to read that Kendal town councillors have voted to take no allowances or expenses for themselves this year or since 2003 (Gazette, September 10, 'Expenses refused').

Financial sacrifice seems to be becoming a welcome trend amongst our local government representatives. Examples are Eden and Allerdale district councillors and Cumbria county councillors, who have all rejected increases offered to them this year and chosen to share the hardships of austerity with their taxpayers.

How sad then the contrast with South Lakeland District Council members who this year voted unanimously to award themselves a one per cent increase in their take from the public purse while at the same time voting through cuts of £799,000 in what they spend on services to their taxpayers.

SLDC councillors are already more generously paid than either Eden or Allerdale. A recent freedom of information request revealed that the total cost of the 51 SLDC councillors' allowances and support last year was £425,804, an average of £8,350 each.

The magnanimity of Kendal town councillors refusing any money is tempered a little by the fact that 12 of the 28 councillors are also SLDC councillors and four are county councillors.

Two of them sit on all three councils!

Perhaps these councillors can afford to be magnanimous when they are picking up nice allowances etc with their other hats on!

Time was that the honour and privilege of civic duty was reward enough. Let us be grateful that it still is for some Kendal town councillors and thank our town councillors for all of their work on our behalf and encourage our district councillors, many the same people, to remember that times are hard and the public purse limited!

Ian Kell Mealbank