MADAM,

As Monmouthshire will be holding local government elections in May 2017, is it not time Monmouthshire County Council came clean on councillors’ records on payment of council tax?

In March of this year the Bolton News finally succeeded on appeal in its court case against Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council when judge Kate Markus QC ruled that council tax dodgers must not have their identities protected.

Apart from the need for local councils to demonstrate to the electorate they serve that they are not only acting within the law but doing so in a transparent and accountable manner, councillors who haven’t paid their council tax are legally barred from voting on budgetary matters. If councils refuse to publish the names of defaulting councillors, how can any us be sure that councillors are not voting on matters from which they are debarred from voting?

Following judge Kate Markus QC’s ruling, Private Eye contacted all 377 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland that process council tax payments and, under the Freedom of Information Act, requested data on council tax payments by councillors for 2015/16.

As can be seen, Monmouthshire County Council, despite the court ruling, were less than completely transparent:

Council tax reminders - 4 reminders sent for overdue council tax payments.

Number of summonses - 1 summons served after payment not made.

Names of those summonsed - Name withheld.

Councillors barred from voting? - No. Cllr paid before court case.

Would Monmouthshire County Council confirm that their response to this FoI request, despite the court ruling, was as reported by Private Eye?

Will Monmouthshire County Council clarify if the summonsed councillor while legally barred from voting did or did not vote on any budgetary matters?

Will Monmouthshire County Council follow the court ruling and provide full disclosure, naming the councillor who was summonsed for non-payment of council tax? Surely in the run up to an election, voters are entitled to know which councillor was summonsed for non-payment of council tax?

Will Monmouthshire County Council commit to full disclosure on this issue for 2016/17 in time for voters to be fully informed in time for next year’s local government elections?

Dr L P Stoter

(The Narth)

•When the Beacon contacted Monmouthshire County Council they provided an extract from the Chief Executive’s internal review findings for a Freedom of Information request after the requestor challenged the council’s original reply.

CEO Paul Matthews confirmed that the councillor summonsed paid before a liability order was issued. He wrote that there is “an argument” that the public should be aware of any failings, but concluded it would “not be fair” to release the details of the councillor in question.