Councillors and Council Tax Arrears
Hello,
I'm writing to you in the hope of obtaining information relating to the number of reminder letters and summons sent to elected councillors in your authority area since 2015/16.
I'd prefer to receive the information in Excel spreadsheet - xlsx or xls - format and if you cannot provide the information in full, I would like to request that you provide as much as you are able to within the cost and time limits of the Act.
If you need clarification or can suggest ways in which the request can be refined in order for it to be successful, I'd be grateful if you could contact me as soon as possible.
Please note that there is precedent for councillors to be named in relation to this issue - the High Court ruled in March 2015 that they should not have their identities protected when it comes to non-payment of council tax.
I'd like to know the following:
1. How many unpaid council tax reminders were sent to councillors elected in your authority between 2015/16 and 2017/18? Please break down by financial year?
2. How many councillors were summonsed to court or given summary warrants in the same period? Again, please break down by financial year.
3a. How many reminders were issued to the councillors named? Please break down by year.
3b. For each instance, please provide the name of each councillor, the party they represent or represented at the time and the amount of council tax owed according to sums requested in the letter. Please also provide the amount of council tax that remains outstanding.
3c. Please also state for each councillor, whether they were barred from voting on the council's budget as a result of their council tax arrears and whether any summons received resulted in a court hearing going ahead.
I'd be grateful if you could provide the information for questions 1 and 2 as totals for your authority and present the rest of the information within a spreadsheet with the following columns:
Financial Year - Authority Name - Councillor Name - Party - No of Reminders - No of Summons - Amount Owed According to Reminders - Court Hearing Y/N - Outcome of Hearing - Banned from Voting Y/N - Current Sum Outstanding
Yours faithfully,
Joanna Morris
Dear Joanna
Thank you for your e-mail requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Your request is being considered and you will receive the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.
For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the information will not be released. You will be Informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.
If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.
There may be a fee payable for 'reasonable disbursement' costs such as postage and photocopying. This will be considered and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment. If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal font size. If you require alternative formats, e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let me know.
If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me on 01254 388111 or [Hyndburn Borough Council request email] .
Yours sincerely,
FOI Co-ordinator
Hyndburn Borough Council
Hello,
This request is now considerably overdue and I would be grateful if you could let me know as soon as you can when I can expect to receive a response.
Yours sincerely,
Joanna Morris
Dear Joanna,
Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your request. I will contact the appropriate officer immediately and ask for a response as soon as possible.
Kind regards,
FOI Co-ordinator
Hyndburn Borough Council
Dear Joanna,
Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying to your request and for you having to send further correspondence. I can now provide a reply for you.
Your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has been considered and a response is below:
1. How many unpaid council tax reminders were sent to councillors elected in your authority between 2015/16 and 2017/18? Please break down by financial year?
2015/16 - 1 (Conservative)
2016/2017 - 1 (Conservative)
2017/2018 - 3 (1 Conservative, 2 Labour)
2018/2019 - 1 (Labour)
2. How many councillors were summonsed to court or given summary warrants in the same period? Again, please break down by financial year.
None
3a. How many reminders were issued to the councillors named? Please break down by year.
NOT APPLICABLE - no councillors were summonsed
3b. For each instance, please provide the name of each councillor, the party they represent or represented at the time and the amount of council tax owed according to sums requested in the letter. Please also provide the amount of council tax that remains outstanding.
NOT APPLICABLE - no councillors were summonsed
3c. Please also state for each councillor, whether they were barred from voting on the council's budget as a result of their council tax arrears and whether any summons received resulted in a court hearing going ahead.
No Councillors were barred from voting on the council's budget
If you have any queries or concerns or if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request then please contact me at
Legal and Democratic Services,
Hyndburn Borough Council,
Scaitcliffe House,
Ormerod Street,
Accrington,
Lancashire BB5 0PF or: [Hyndburn Borough Council request email]
If you are still dissatisfied then you can also complain to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF Telephone: 01625 545 700 www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
FOI Co-ordinator
Hyndburn Borough Council
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