Council Tax 2013/14 increase

The request was refused by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.

Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

Can you please tell me if a referendum, (stated by Eric Pickles for any council refusing the government offer of an extra 1% funding to freeze this years council tax) will/was offered in regard to the 2.44% council tax increase for 2013/2014, also why was the 2.44% increase presented as

1.1% increase for transport
0.9% increase for council tax
Is transport not already an element of council tax, also what is the other 0.44% charge for.

Eric Pickles stated any council increasing council tax by 2% or more should first hold a referendum, can you please provide the results of any referendum if one has taken/takes place, and who was/would be allowed to vote in the referendum. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Maria

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Please quote ID 4629 on all correspondence/emails/faxes

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Dear Madam

I am emailing to confirm the receipt of your recent FOI request to Wigan Council.

We will respond as soon as possible and in any case no later than 18th June 2013, which is 20 working days after the receipt of your request.

If you have any comments or questions in the meantime, please direct them to [Wigan Council request email], or at Wigan Council, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN.

Your contact is Sharon Crippin.

Regards

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Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Council Tax 2013/14 increase'.

Wigan council promised to respond by 18/06/13 as they are required by law, but have ignored the law, can you please review and find out why the law is being ignored, or does the law not apply to wigan council.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Maria

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

 
Dear Maria

In response to the internal review requested, I am writing to respond to
your freedom of information received on the 18th May 2013.  This request
has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The response to your request is detailed below.

The council tax referendum principles for 2013-14 were announced in a
Written Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2012. The principles stated
that 'Local authorities would be required to hold a referendum if they
wished to increase their relevant basic amount of council tax by over 2%
for 2013-14'. We can confirm that a referendum was not held by Wigan
Council, as Wigan Council Tax for 2013/14 was raised by 2% and therefore
did not exceed the government's referendum limit.
The overall Council Tax increase to which you refer (2.44%) includes
amounts put forward by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for
Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority.
Whilst Wigan Council collects income on behalf of these 2 organisations
(and then passes it to them), it is not responsible for setting the level
of their precepts which are completely separate from Wigan Council's
overall budget and therefore do not count towards the Council's referendum
limit. These 2 organisation's accounted for 0.44% of the 2.44% increase.
You are correct that the cost of Transport is already part of the Council
Tax bill. However, in terms of how the increase was presented, the Council
took the opportunity to analyse the change in council tax to show how much
of the increase related to the Levy that is placed upon the Council by the
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (the body that provides transport
for Greater Manchester). The Council is not in control of this amount as
it is a matter for the Combined Authority itself. Since that element of
Wigan Council's Tax accounted for more than half of the 2% rise it was
felt that this information would be useful to Council Tax payers.
I hope this satisfies your request.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of this response, an independent senior
officer will review this decision. Please let me know if you would like to
arrange this.
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner, who is the
regulator for Freedom of Information. His website is
[1]www.informationcommisioner.gov.uk and his helpline number is 0303
1231113.
His staff may ask you to exhaust our internal complaints procedure if you
choose to complain to his office now.
May I take this opportunity to apologise for the delay in responding to
your request, this is due to the high volumes currently being received.
 
Yours Sincerely
 
 
Sharon Crippin
Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officer
Resources Directorate
Legal & Risk
Wigan Council
Town Hall
Wigan
WN1 1YN
Tel: (01942) 827002    Internal: 2002
email:  [email address]
[2]www.wigan.gov.uk
 
 
>>Corporate Disclaimer<<
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please
notify the system manager.

Email may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded
for legal purposes.

As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this
email or any response to it under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 unless the information in it is covered by one of the
exemptions in the Act.

This footnote also confirms that this email has been swept for
the presence of computer viruses.

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