ELDC: Council Tax Dodging Councillors

ELDC: 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

and

• Hambelton District Council,

East Lindsey District Council  (in east Lincolnshire) is the next Council to provide a partial 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 ELDC 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 ELDC Councillors have been barred from participating in voting on budgetary decisions, contingent upon Council Tax arrears of two months or more.

the Council has thus far declined to disclose the names of all the Councillors who have fallen foul of Council Tax requirements – in particular, those who no longer serve as Councillors.

Of the Councillors whom East Lindsay District Council has been sufficiently transparent as to identify, only presently serving Councillors have been named.

2011/12

Two unnamed Councillors required two Reminder Notices, one of whom also required a Final Notice, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

2012/13

Three unnamed Councillors required a Reminder Notice to secure payment.

Councillor John BYFORD [Ukip] and Councillor Tony HOWARD [Lab.] also each required a Reminder Notice to secure payment.

A further two unnamed Councillors required two Reminder Notices to secure payment.

Councillor William GRAY [Con.] required a Reminder, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

2013/14

Councillor William GRAY [Con.] again required a Reminder Notice, along with an unnamed Councillor, to secure payment.

Both Councillor Robert PALMER [Con.] and an unnamed Councillor required two Reminder Notices to secure payment.

A further unnamed Councillor required two Reminder Notices, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

2014/15

Two unnamed Councillors required a Reminder Notice to secure payment.

Another unnamed Councillor required two Reminder Notices, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

Serial offender Councillor William GRAY [Con.] required a Reminder, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

2015/16

Councillor C. DAVIE [Con.] (who has featured in the Enquirer on a number of occasions) required two Reminder Notices to secure payment.

Councillor Susan BLACKBURN [Ukip]required two Reminder Notices and a Summons to secure payment.

For the fourth time in as many years, persistent offender Councillor William GRAY [Con.] again required a Reminder, a Summons, a Liability Order and a 14-Day Letter to secure payment.

In the years 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, Councillor William GRAY, who sometimes styles himself William FITZADEN-GRAY (when in the company of those who do pay their Council Tax in a timely manner), has drawn over £41K from the Council in Allowances alone. But securing payment in full of his Council Tax has put East Lindsey District Council to considerable trouble – and the East Lindsay citizenry to considerable expense.

LN10 6YW is a primarily residential postcode in Kirkby on Bain, Lincolnshire.

The most common Council Tax bands are E and C. Estimated residential property values, based on historical transactions and adjusted for inflation, range from £59,300 to £372,672 with an average of £255,623. Housing types are typically detached.

Conservative Councillor William GRAY does not look to be short of a bob or two. His contact address (see above) is Rose Cottage, pictured below.  Rose Cottage does not give the appearance of being Councillor William GRAY’s principle residence; rather, a business interest.