Hartlepool: Council Tax Dodging Councillors

Hartlepool: Council Tax Dodging Councillors

Following FOIA disclosures regarding Councillors who did not pay their Council Tax without recourse to enforcement procedures at;

• Richmondshire District Council

• Hambleton District Council

• East Lindsey District Council

• North East Lincolnshire Council

• Hambleton District Council

• Selby District Council

• Hull City Council

Hartlepool Borough Council (HBC) is the next Council to provide a response to one of a series of identical Freedom of Information requests, in the following terms:

For each of the financial years 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 until the date of your response:

(1) which HBC Councillors have been the subject of recovery action, either in the form of demands sent by letter or email, or by court action. Please specify which type of recovery action, where applicable.

(2) which HBC Councillors have been barred from participating in voting on budgetary decisions, contingent upon Council Tax arrears of two months or more.

Hartlepool Borough Council has declined to provide a full response, claiming that it would be inappropriate to disclose the names of those Councillors who have been the subject of mere Reminders. The Council has disclosed the name of a Councillor who, in two consecutive years, required sterner action.

In 2013/14, Councillor Jean ROBINSON [Lab.]  received a Summons. (2013/14 Council Tax liability was then paid in full before 2014/15 budgetary decisions were considered by Council).

In 2014/15 Councillor Jean ROBINSON [Lab.] recived a Liability Order. (2014/15 Council Tax liability was then paid in full before 2015/16 budgetary decisions were considered by Council).