Cllr Stuart Peall deliberately and knowingly misled Cllrs over Council Tax

So residents of Folkestone & Hythe District Council have the highest Council Tax of any Council, in Kent, for the twentieth year in a row.

Regardless of the nonsense Cllr Stuart Peall spouted in the chamber bamboozling Cllrs and misleading residents, regarding Maidstone Borough Council’s Council Tax being higher than ours. He is wrong.

If one looks at page 12 of MBC Appendix A – Budget Book, it states MBCs Band D Council tax is £324.94. And overall, the Band D Council Tax, including KCC, Kent Police & Kent Fire & Rescue is in total £2,189.62. Maidstone voted this through last night 22 Feb 2023.

Now compare this with what Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s Council Tax; which can be found in Report number A/22/31 (page 11). Our precept for Band D is £357.44, Maidstone’s is £324.92.

Add in KCC, Kent Police and Kent Fire & Rescue, for FHDCs Band D Council Tax it is £2222.12. Maidstone’s is £2,189.

So who has the highest Council Tax Cllr Peall? This is what our residents will pay, not maidstone residents who have a lower Council Tax rate than us.

And

Cllr Stuart Peall’s misleading statement last night baffled some of our opposition Cllrs, but the facts; which are publicly available, don’t baffle us. And neither does Cllr Peall’s misleading statements.

In March when DLUHC release official figures on Council Tax, their figures (figures left for 2022/23) will most definitely support our position. That being Cllr Peall was talking bullshit last night.

Finally, how is it Cllrs are allowed to lie in the chamber, and there is no come back on what they say?

We’ll leave you to ponder that

The Shepway Vox Team

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