VOTE BAN OVER £12k COUNCIL TAX DEBT
Councillor in 13 years’ arrears
A COUNCILLOR with council tax debts of more than £12,000 is unable to vote on budget matters.
Labour’s Cecilia O’Lone, who represents the Calton ward in Glasgow, has debts for unpaid council dating back to 1999.
Local government legislation prevents members from voting on certain budget issues if they are in arrears of two months or more.
O’Lone is one of eight Glasgow City councillors who were last year reported to be in council tax arrears amounting to about £52,000.
Hers are thought to be the highest of the eight in question.
It is believed O’Lone has run up arrears for 13 successive years.
Councillors receive a salary of £16,927 and O’Lone – who works part-time with children’s health project the Gladiator Programme – claimed a further £977 for travel costs.
She would have been expected to declare her arrears at meetings relating to council tax.
A Freedom of Information request revealed 32 councillors in 13 local authority areas across Scotland had council tax arrears amounting to more than £140,000.
Earlier this month, SNP council members in North Lanarkshire paid off council tax debt of around £4000 racked up by Coatbridge West councillor Caroline Stephen, to allow her to vote in the council’s budget meeting.
O’Lone was contacted by the Record but did not respond.