SANDWELL COUNCILLOR TAKEN TO COURT
Private Eye has been looking for councillors who are more than a bit reluctant to pay their council tax.
It found some among the Labour elite on Sandwell council.
When they were electing the Labour council leader a few months ago, it emerged that some of Sandwell’s socialist councillor comrades had not paid their subs to the Labour party for years.
These are people who will splash public cash (i.e. our money) including awarding themselves the biggest wages for councillors in the Black Country plus the extra odd thousand or five in “special responsibility” payments. When it comes to their own money they are tight as tics.
The Eye asked how many councillors, in 2015-16 had received council tax payment reminder letters. In Sandwell the answer was three.
It asked if any Sandwell councillor had been sued for non-payment of council tax. The answer was one.
The Eye asked the identity of the Sandwell councillor who the council had to take to court to get to pay their council tax.
Sandwell council, ever eager to cover for Labour councillors who foul the nest, refused to identify the debtor.
It should not have refused this information. The Eye’s request was made under the Freedom of Information Act. In a precisely similar case, the Bolton News obtained a ruling from the appeal tribunal of the Information Commission that Bolton Council must name the councillor it had sued for non payment of council tax.
Sandwell council leader, Cllr Eling, on his election promised “Honesty, openness and transparency” Now’s your chance to deliver, Steve.
The public are entitled to know the name of the councillor who can’t run his own affairs but claims the privilege of a share in running the borough. Until that person is named there will be speculation as to identity, including the rumour that it is an Eling chosen cabinet colleague.