Council refuses to name councillors who failed to pay council tax on time

This year, for the first time in five years, all councillors have paid their council tax bills on time.

In each of the previous four years from 2010/11 to 2013/14 at least one councillor failed to pay their council tax bill on time and in 2010/11 and 2012/13 at least one councillor only paid once they had received a court summons.

Rochdale Online asked Rochdale Council to name the councillors, however, the Council refused to do so citing exemption from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act Section 40, Personal Data.

Freedom of Information requests are subject to a public interest test even if exemptions apply. However, despite Rochdale Council's claim to be 'open and transparent', the Council concluded that the public interest favours withholding the information!