Decision - Council Tax 2019/2020 - Discretionary Discount for Properties that become unoccupied and unfurnished

Council Tax 2019/2020 - Discretionary Discount for Properties that become unoccupied and unfurnished

Decision Maker: Chief Finance Officer

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

To approve the Council Tax for 2019/2020.

Decision:

That the removal of the discretionary Council Tax discount for properties that become unoccupied and unfurnished for one month be approved and come into force from April 2019.

Reasons for the decision:

The change in the discretionary discount is expected to raise £200,000 in Council Tax revenue for the Council to support services.

Alternative options considered:

Not to implement the removal of this discretionary discount.

Further background information can be found at the following link:

https://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=163&MId=8386&Ver=4

Implementation:

This decision will be implemented from the 1 April 2019.

Information:

At the Council meeting on 5 December 2018 the following decision was made:

(i) to delegate to the Head of Finance, in consultation with the Elected Mayor, the approval for the removal of the discretionary Council Tax discount for properties that become unoccupied and unfurnished that currently applies for one month from April 2019.

The Chief Finance Officer and Elected Mayor have considered the consultation responses and the decision is set out below.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None.

Publication date: 25/01/2019

Date of decision: 25/01/2019