Pendle Liberal Democrats call for resignation of Conservative councillor in council tax arrears
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Pendle Borough Council confirmed to Leader Times that Coun. Ormerod, who represents Vivary Bridge ward in Colne, is in arrears with his council tax and owes £3,835.
“This is a scandal. At the end of March last year, Coun. Ormerod owed £3,835 in council tax arrears,” said Coun. Whipp. “Coun. Ormerod was paid £3,131.79 in allowances in that year.
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Hide Ad“Coun. Ormerod has only attended two meetings in the past 14 months, the bare minimum to avoid disqualification for non-attendance, and he's only been to just one full council meeting during the whole of his time on the council. In total, he's missed 27 meetings that he should have been at.
“It's hardly a surprise that Colne is a neglected corner of Pendle when it has a non-paying, non-attending councillor. Coun. Ormerod should resign immediately and allow someone willing to do the work to take over.
“The Conservatives need to take a long hard look at themselves in putting forward a candidate who was £1,700 in arrears at the time of his election. They should have acted before now to make him stand down.
“Residents rightly want answers as to why this situation has been allowed for three years. It stinks. It cannot continue.”
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Coun. Ormerod has attended two committee meetings and one full Council meeting since December 2023.
If a councillor fails to attend meetings for six months, unless the non-attendance was approved by the council, they automatically cease to be a councillor.
Karen Spencer, Director of Resources for Pendle Borough Council, explained: “Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 makes it an offence for a councillor in council tax arrears (of at least two months) to vote at a council meeting where financial matters relating to council tax are being considered.”
Coun. Ormerod, who has been approached for comment, was elected to Colne's Vivary Bridge Ward in May 2023.
The ward currently has a by-election following the resignation of another Conservative councillor.
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