Leeds City Council: Councillor sent summons to appear in court over unpaid council tax bill of almost £1k

The local authority has not named the elected member in question or disclosed which political party they represent.

They added that the councillor eventually paid their bill before legal action could be taken.

The council was responding to a Freedom of Information request made by the YEP which asked: “How many councillors received court summons as a result of failing to pay [council tax] in 2021, 2022 and 2023?”

The local authority confirmed that one councillor had received a court summons in the current financial year. 

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council responded: “The Summonsed Case was for £987.67 due in 2023/24. It was paid prior to any further action being required.”

Now an expert in local government has argued that their identity should be made public - and said it could be seen as "misleading and hypocritical" when a councillor has not paid their council tax.

And the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents and advises local authorities, reiterated that “pursuing councillors for non-payment demonstrates nobody is above the law” in light of the FoI response.

According to council policy, a member who has not paid their bill for at least two months can be excluded from voting on any matters relating to setting tax.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: "The councillor in question has now settled their council tax for the 2023/24 year in full and, as such, is eligible to attend and vote at the Budget Setting Council meeting in accordance with the legislative requirements."

The response to the YEP’s Freedom of Information request revealed that:

• In the current financial year 2023/24, five councillors received reminders over missed council tax payments.

• Of those, four councillors paid after being sent reminders.

• The summonsed case this year was for an unpaid bill of £987.67 - but it was paid prior to any further action being required.

• In 2022/23, three councillors were sent reminders to pay missed council tax and all paid after receiving them.

• In 2021/22, three councillors were sent reminders to pay missed council tax and all paid after receiving them.

Speaking about the YEP’s FoI revelations, Leigh Purves, lecturer in public affairs at Leeds Trinity University, said that, while personal circumstances could have impacted the situation, it could have a “detrimental impact” on public trust.

She said: "When a situation like this unfolds, it could have a very detrimental impact on public trust in the local authority - and it could impact the perception of the entire council.

"There is a legitimate public interest in knowing which councillor is responsible for the council tax arrears.

"Obviously, there may be personal circumstances which could have affected this situation. However, councillors are responsible for the expenditure of public money and should be held accountable.

"Some may argue that it is misleading and hypocritical for councillors to expect everyone else to pay council tax and for this situation to unfold."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the LGA said that, in some cases, local authorities deduct cash from councillors’ allowances if they do not pay their council tax on time.

The LGA spokesperson said: “Local authorities have a responsibility to all taxpayers to ensure that council tax is collected.

"Pursuing councillors for non-payment demonstrates nobody is above the law. Many councils also act early when councillors get into arrears by deducting money from their allowances."