Parish precept

Question

We have just had a 'parish' meeting.

At this meeting, in front of everyone in the hall they set the precept!

Does it not need to be discussed wish the parish councillors in a properly agendered meeting so it can be decided (voted on ) anda decision made?    Or does it not matter?

Answer 1

The power to collect tax (i.e. set the precept) is granted to Parish Councils, not ‘parish’ meetings.

When it comes to Parish Council meetings topics requiring a decision must be clearly specified on the agenda / summons to councillors. Any decision made e.g. setting the precept, for which there is no clear agenda item is unlawful.

I am pretty sure that your Parish Council will have to complete a form to submit to your precept collecting authority (District council) giving the amount of the precept for your parish and declaring that this was agreed at a specific Parish Council meeting, and signed to that effect by the Chairman of the Parish Council.

In your situation I would first contact the Chairman of the Parish Council and point out that they are not following proper procedures with the consequence that any attempt to collect the Parish precept will be unlawful.  If that doesn’t work, get in touch with the District Council.

Comments

Thank you old tom. It just allows person(s) who do not have the knowledge to bring a decent PC into disrepute. It drives me nuts!!!

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Sorry.Didn't register your last comment re getting in touch with the chairman. The "chairman" is the problem; he has just come into the community and has taken over by 'hook or crook' is a serious bully, self aggrandiser and is not a nice person at all. He surrounds himself somehow with like minded people; who also do not have a clue and have weak clerks who are bullied by him. We have lost 3 clerks in 3 years and several decent parish councillors and we are now down to 7. It is OK saying get support but it is very difficult and distressing for those whom are not that way inclined. Hence the resignations. Parish councils I think have had their day. Certainly for the likes of our community of less than 300 and  a precept of less that £5000.   It still drives me nuts!! The monitoring officer is very hard to convince unless you put your 'head' on the line!!!

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I agree wholeheartedly that small parish councils should be quietly put down. Their overheads, in the age of excessive legislation, are crippling. Parish councils do very little that cannot be done by residents for themselves, or by the higher authority, without the need for a clerk, insurance etc.etc.etc. In this case Old Tom should make his views known to the clerk, not the chairman, who has no special powers. The good order of a council is the responsibility of the clerk. The Monitoring Officer can only really deal with breaches of the Code of Conduct, and even then has no powers to sanction offenders. That is another very good reason to abolish small parish councils, or at least massively reform them. Councillors can act with impunity which cannot be in the interests of democracy.