Councillors and Council Tax Arrears

The request was successful.

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

Comments, Woking Borough Council

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Woking Borough Council, Civic Office, Gloucester Square, Woking, Surrey GU21 6YL
Phone: 01483 755855 | Fax: 01483 768746 | Web: www.woking.gov.uk

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Comments, Woking Borough Council

We acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information Request. Your request has been forwarded to the Policy department for action.

Kind regards
Customer Services

______________________________________________
Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6YL
Phone: 01483 755855 | Fax: 01483 768746 | Web: www.woking.gov.uk

________________________________________
From: Joanna Morris [[FOI #568200 email]]
Sent: 12 April 2019 16:29
To: Comments
Subject: Freedom of Information request - 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

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Woking Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Information Request.

Reference: (2988-11323549)
Subject: Councillors and Council Tax Arrears

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Your request was received on 12/04/2019 and we are
dealing with it under the terms of the Act.

You will receive the information requested within 20 working days unless
the Council does not hold the information or there is a reason for it to
be withheld. We will write to you in any event.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to
contact the Democratic Services Team at Woking Borough Council.

Democratic Services (FOI Request).
Civic Offices,
Gloucester Square,
Woking,
GU21 6YL.
[1]Email: [email address]
Tel: 01483 755855

Yours faithfully,

Woking Borough Council,
Civic Offices,
Gloucester Square,
Woking,
GU21 6YL.

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Woking Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Information Request.
Our Reference (2988-11323549).

Further to your request for information dated 12/04/2019, I can confirm that your request has been dealt with as a formal request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You requested;
FOI Request Subject `Councillors and Council Tax Arrears`.
FOI Request Details;
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? None

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. None

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. N/A

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. N/A

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
.

I confirm that the Council holds information which meets the description contained in your request and the information requested is set out below.

I hope that you are satisfied with the way in which your request for information has been dealt with. If not, the Council has decided that any complaint regarding requests for information that cannot be dealt with satisfactorily on an informal basis should be dealt with in accordance with its established complaints procedure.

Complaints.
Woking Borough Council,
Civic Offices,
Gloucester Square,
Woking,
GU21 6YL.
Email: [email address]

Details of the Council's complaints procedure may be found at:
http://www.woking.gov.uk/council/about/c...

Alternatively, I can forward you a paper copy of a leaflet giving details. I am also happy to discuss any queries that you may have regarding how we have dealt with your request for information. In addition, you may apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision whether your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act (although I understand that the Information Commissioner may decline to become involved if you have not first exhausted the Council's complaints procedure).

The Information Commissioner may be contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office.
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.
Tel: 08456 306060 or 01625 545745
Email: [email address]
Website: www.ico.org.uk

Yours faithfully,

Terry Stocks.
Revenues Team Manager,
Woking Borough Council,
Civic Offices,
Gloucester Square,
Woking,
GU21 6YL.
[email address]

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Hello,

Apologies if the error is at my end but your response to my FOI request indicates that you have supplied the information requested - I haven't received an attachment, please could you resend?

Best wishes

Joanna Morris

Comments, Woking Borough Council

Thank you for your contact. We have re forwarded your email and asked the FOI Team to reply direct to you,
Kind regards
Customer Services

______________________________________________
Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6YL
Phone: 01483 755855 | Fax: 01483 768746 | Web: www.woking.gov.uk

________________________________________
From: Joanna Morris [[FOI #568200 email]]
Sent: 29 May 2019 10:47
To: Comments
Subject: Re: FOI Request Reference: (2988-11323549) Subject: Councillors and Council Tax Arrears

Hello,

Apologies if the error is at my end but your response to my FOI request indicates that you have supplied the information requested - I haven't received an attachment, please could you resend?

Best wishes

Joanna Morris

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Hanna Taylor, Woking Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Joanna Morris,

 

There were no attachments as we had no cases.

The answers have been highlighted below.

 

Thanks,

Hanna

Hanna Taylor | Democratic Services Officer | Democratic and Legal Services

__________________________________________________________

Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, Surrey,
GU21 6YL
Phone: 01483 743056 | Fax: 01483 768746 | Web: [1]www.woking.gov.uk
For general enquiries, please call Woking Borough Council's Contact Centre
on 01483 755855

 

[2]CYBAC_email_footer_Jun19

 

 

 

________________________________________

From: Joanna Morris [[FOI #568200 email]]

Sent: 29 May 2019 10:47

To: Comments

Subject: Re: FOI Request Reference: (2988-11323549) Subject: Councillors
and Council Tax Arrears

 

Hello,

 

Apologies if the error is at my end but your response to my FOI request
indicates that you have supplied the information requested - I haven't
received an attachment, please could you resend?

 

Best wishes

 

Joanna Morris

 

show quoted sections