Agenda item

To seek confirmation of the final Council Tax amounts for 2020/21 including the precepts issued for 2020/21 by Essex County Council, Essex Police and Essex Fire & Rescue Services.

Members were reminded of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which provided that any Member, who was in arrears by at least two months with their Council Tax payments, could not vote on matters concerning either the level of, or administration of, Council Tax.  It was important to note that this also covered Council Tax liabilities outside of the District and property which might not be their main residence. If present at the meeting, a Member to whom this provision applied must disclose the fact and could speak on the item, but could not vote.  Non-compliance with this section was a criminal offence.  Therefore, should this provision apply to any Member, this should be disclosed.

The Committee’s confirmation was sought in respect of the final Council Tax amounts for 2020/21 including the precepts issued for 2020/21 by Essex County Council and the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The Council’s Corporate Finance Manager and Deputy Section 151 Officer (Richard Bull) was in attendance and informed Members that, once the precepts had been received from the major precepting authorities, the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee had the delegated responsibility to agree the total Council Tax for 2020/21. The total Council Tax for the year was made up of the District and Parish / Town Council amounts approved by this Council and the corresponding amounts agreed by the major precepting authorities. Legislation required this formal confirmation even though the process was dictated by legislative formulae and there was no actual judgement or choice to be made.

The Committee was aware that the District and Parish/Town Council precepts for 2020/21 had been approved at the meeting of the Council held on 11 February 2020 and were set out in Appendix B to the report. Since that date the precepts from the major precepting authorities for 2020/21 had been received.  The table set out below showed the precepts issued for 2020/21 for Essex County Council, Essex Police services and Essex Fire services:-

It was reported that, when added to the amounts relating to the District and Parish / Town Council Services, as approved by Council on 11 February 2020, the average Band D Tax totalled £1,808.54for 2020/21. Appendix A to the reportset out the full precept details and Appendix Cset out for confirmation the 2020/21 Council Tax amounts including the precepts from the major precepting authorities by property band for the unparished and parished areas of the District.

It was moved by Councillor S A Honeywood, seconded by Councillor Chittock and unanimously:-

RESOLVED that -

(a)    the precepts issued by Essex County Council, Essex Police and Essex Fire for 2020/21, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be noted; and

(b)    the amounts of Council Tax for 2020/21 for each of the categories of dwellings, as shown in Appendix C to the report, be confirmed.