Transparency champion Bob says naming late tax payers is "a difficult decision"

Independent Cornwall councillor Bob Egerton, defender of all things to do with openness and transparency at County Hall, tells me that (a) he pays his council tax on time and (b) he has sympathy for those officials who had to decide whether or not to name any or all of the 17 councillors who were late with their payments over the past two years. "It's a difficult decision," he said. "While I don't condone anyone for being late with their council tax payment, I don't know their personal financial circumstances or what the reason might be. It's not obvious whether the officers should have named and shamed the members or not. I hope the Information Commission can make a speedy recommendation on this as it would help us all know where we stand in future."

Let those without sin cast the first stone

Full marks to Bodmin councillor Ann Kerridge, for allowing me to take her confession about her late payment of council tax:

"I am one of the one in seven. If I paid by direct debit I wouldn't be. However I made a choice quite a long time ago to pay in person at my local post office so they get a little revenue. One month I confess to forgetting, got a CC letter and paid almost immediately."

I think Ann is demonstrating commendable wisdom here, not least because she's a front bencher who speaks (for the Lib Dems) on finance issues. Within County Hall there are sheets of paper with the names of 17 late-payers. Some councillors have copies and some do not. This is unfair. While the council's reason for not releasing the information to everyone might well be motivated by a bureaucratic desire to observe the Data Protection Act, it defies every known law of political common sense.

PS: Before anyone asks, can I also confess to having once been late with the return of some library books.

Fame or shame?

Three Cornwall councillors deserve credit for volunteering the fact that they HAVE paid their council tax on time: Chris Ridgers, Scott Mann and Steve Double. Well done chaps. That still leaves 103 other members who have also paid their council tax on time, but whose status remains unclear.

An easier way to do this would be for the 17 late-payers to volunteer their identities. I'm hoping for guidance from the Information Commissioner, as to whether Cornwall Council should name the member who had to be taken to court before payment could be forced, later today.

Did you pay your council tax on time?

The warmest congratulations to The Falmouth Packet for its scoop about how one in seven Cornwall councillors failed to pay their council tax on time. Over the past two years, no fewer than 17 elected members needed reminders before paying their bills. One had to be threatened with court action.

The Information Commission is now considering whether the council should identify those responsible for wasting officer-time to recover more than £5,000 in unpaid taxes. The council claims it has obligations under the Data Protection Act to keep the names secret.

There are several issues here. Should councillors be treated any differently to ordinary citizens, who would not normally be named if they were simply late with their payments? Fourteen of the councillors needed a second reminder letter. Again, ordinary citizens would not normally be named.

The identity of the councillor who had to be dragged to court in order to extract payment is already in the public domain, although it will be difficult to find that name without the resources to trawl through thousands of official records. I would be surprised if, in the case of this individual, the Information Commission does not rule against the council and in favour of disclosure.

The Packet's story naturally prompts further questions. Are any of the 17 late-payers members of the council's Cabinet? Was it fair of the council to release this partial information, potentially damaging the reputations of 106 members who diligently paid their tax bills on time?

The council employs more than 19,000 people and I'd be amazed if all of them paid their tax bills on time - but who should be named and who should be treated like "ordinary citizens?" Those earning more than £50,000 a year? £80,000?

Within County Hall, lists are circulating which contain the names of all 17 late-paying councillors. Who should see these lists and who should not? Why does the Data Protection Act allow some councillors to know which of their colleagues are behind with payments, while others are denied this information?

There is a long-held convention in political life that people who seek election to positions of power and influence are not "ordinary citizens." Once elected, they do have to answer to a higher God. Should they seek re-election, you can rest assured that their political opponents will find a way of publishing the information.

So here's an opportunity for all members of Cornwall Council to clarify the situation and put the record straight. If you are one of the 106 members of the council who paid your tax on time, you can declare it publicly on this blog.

Lost in translation?

Cornwall Council tells me it has no record of any formal policy decision to change the name of "County Hall" to "Cornwall Hall" and that therefore the entry in Wikipedia must be in error. Possibly. The minutes of Bewnans Kernow from 4th October 2010 include this extract:

"A letter had been sent from the Secretary to the CEO of Cornwall Council in support of a name change for County Hall to Lys Kernow. It was noted that the sign at the entrance to Lys Kernow was now bilingual, even though the words are not a true translation. Members will be encouraged to use the Cornish version in correspondence and references."

An interesting concept - "bilingual" but "not a true translation." The possibilities are endless.

Compared with Philip, Kevin is a bargain

Isles of Scilly Council chief executive Philip Hygate is paid about £74,000 a year, less than half the annual £200,000 salary of Cornwall Council chief Kevin Lavery. Population of the Isles of Scilly: 2,153. Population of Cornwall: 535,000. Kevin therefore costs 37 pence per person. Philip costs £34.29 per person.

Wikipedia surely not wrong?

I don't remember this, but it's Cornwall Councill's entry in Wikipedia, and if it's in Wikipedia it must be true:

Name changes - On the creation of the new unitary authority it was decided that the name of the council would be changed from Cornwall County Council to Cornwall Council (Konsel Kernow). It has also been decided by the council to change the name of their meeting place from New County Hall to Lys Kernow (Cornwall Hall) so as to not use the term county

Someone should tell the council, whose website still insists on calling it County Hall.