HBC: Council Tax Dodging Councillors

HBC: Council Tax Dodging Councillors

In response to a Freedom of Information request to Harrogate Borough Council, 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.

the Council has provided the following information:

As can be seen from the above table, Councillor Barrington John BATT [Con.] has been a persistent and habitual offender.

Following his summons in November 2011, he managed to conform to the Council’s requirements throughout 2012 – only to slip back into arrears ever since.

Councillor Barrington John BATT [Con.] has drawn the following Harrogate Borough Council Allowances in recent years:

2011/12 – £3,981.82
2012/13 – £4,448.16
2013/14 – £4,518.66
2014/15 – £4,517.28
Total  –   £17,465.92

By comparision to Councillor Barrington John BATT [Con.], it should be noted that Councillor Jean M. BUTTERFIELD appears to have paid up promptly when issued with a reminder in 2013.

Former Councillor Christine HILL also reacted promptly to a reminder in 2013 and again in 2014.

No councillors were barred from participating in a budgetary vote.

Harrogate Borough Council, to its credit, is the first of a raft of Councils to provided a transparent response to identical requests.

Further responses will appear on the Enquirer as they are provided.