Councillors and Council Tax Arrears

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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

foi, Rother District Council

Dear Ms Morris

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request received on 12 April 2019 relating to information about Councillors and Council tax arrears. We aim to respond to your request for information within 20 working days, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

Freedom of Information Manager

Rother District Council
Town Hall
Bexhill on Sea TN39 3JX

T: 01424 787000
E: [Rother District Council request email]
W: www.rother.gov.uk

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foi, Rother District Council

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Morris

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

 

With reference to your request received on 12 April 2019 about Councillors
and Council tax arrears, please find our response attached hereto. 

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of the request please contact us
within 60 calendar days of this response, if you wish to request an
internal review.  If you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of the
internal review you have the right to make a complaint to the Information
Commissioner.  Their details are:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire   SK9 5AF

Tel. 01625 545700

[1]www.ico.org.uk

 

Please note that the information provided by Rother District Council is
intended for your personal use.  If it is your intention to re-use the
information for commercial gain, you will need to apply to the Council for
a license to re-use it, under the Re-Use of Public Sector Information
Regulations 2005.

 

 

Freedom of Information Manager

 

Rother District Council

Town Hall

Bexhill on Sea TN39 3JX

 

T: 01424 787000

E: [2][Rother District Council request email]

W:  [3]www.rother.gov.uk

 

[4]Follow all news stories on Twitter

[5]Visit our Website

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