In response to the leader of the Liberal Democrats (Have Your Say, June 19), may I remind him I have always recognised and constantly challenged the unfair way that the government supports local authorities through the Revenue Support Grant.

How can you begin to justify Hull being given £599.58 per person to provide services yet Poole gets only £198.75? Even Bournemouth, itself poorly funded, gets £338.63.

Realising the seriousness of the current situation, Poole council has squeezed all budgets and delayed expenditure wherever possible. This, together with some one-off payments and grants which will not be repeated in future years, has resulted in an underspend of £3.4 million.

I would also remind him there were overspends in the two years previous to the Conservatives taking control of the council, which left only £1.6 million of unearmarked reserves.

Every year since then Poole council has kept within budget.

Reserves have risen to £8.3 million – every penny of which we may need in the years ahead.

Only by living within our means can we hope to protect our front line services throughout the difficult and unpredictable times that lie ahead, and we will continue to endeavour, as we have since 2003, to consistently set the lowest council tax in Dorset.

Cllr Dr Brian Leverett, leader of the council, Borough of Poole