Council have lost £1.4 million of income due to Covid-19
It was inevitable and the inevitable has happened, but they are NOT alone.
All councils are being hammered financially by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between April 1st and August 31st, Folkestone & Hythe District Council have lost £1,417,000 of income, according to a report discussed by Cabinet yesterday. With the pandemic set to continue through a second wave, it is inevitable the council will lose even more income.
However, our Council will not be issuing a s114 notice anytime soon. A s114 notice is, akin to declaring themselves bankrupt. This will NOT be happening to Folkestone & Hythe District Council because they have substantial usable reserves.
Usable reserves can be applied to fund expenditure or reduce local taxation
As of the 31st March 2020, the Council’s usable reserves stood at £53.5 million.
Moving on, we note in the Council’s payment to suppliers data says they have paid a company called Reward Gateway £15,000 during the covid-19 pandemic.
Reward Gateway offer a variety of benefits to employees, such as reduced prices on groceries, wellness products and travel, among other things. The ultimate owner of Reward Gateway is RG Investment Holding L.P., a company based in the Cayman Islands, the most notorious tax haven on earth.
We also note in August the Council once again paid Idom Merebrook £2,736 for Dog Kennelling fees. This brings the total paid to Idom Merebrook to £8,940.
Idom Merebrook is a leading national Engineering and Environmental focus practice, whose technical insight and expertise span many sectors such as: Construction, Housing, Rail, Aviation, Nuclear, Sports, Mines and Quarries, Industry and Energy and Highways.
So it’s clear the Idom Merebrook have nothing to do with dogs. And why are the council Kennelling their dogs when they ought to be paying for any such service themselves?
So during the pandemic, the council’s losses are rising. Council Officers are receiving savings via a company based in the most notorious tax haven on the planet. And the rate payer is paying for somebody else’s dogs to be kenneled. Strange world.
The Shepway Vox Team
Dissent is NOT a Crime
It may only be a symbolic gesture but, there is no reason why Dr Priest and her senior colleagues should not offer to take voluntary pay cuts in order to reduce the running costs of the Council.
Secondly, they address the serious issues about inadequate cost and contract management controls that have been highlighted in so many Shepway Vox articles.
Finally, they could decide to stop asking former employees to sign non-disclosure agreements again at great cost to council taxpayers.