By Bruce Sinclair
A councillor, whose call for clarification on taxpayers’ money collected by police showed how second homes subsidise everyone’s bills, said he is happy with what he achieved.
Pembrokeshire councillor Mark Carter had previously submitted a Notice of Motion calling for investigation of how the second homes premium tax rate for the police precept was used and spent.
The 100 per cent second homes premium in Pembrokeshire is also used for payment of the police precept aspect of the overall council tax bill.
Amongst other points, Cllr Carter’s Notice of Motion (NoM) on the police precept aspect of the overall council tax bill for second homes and empty properties asked: “I would request that the committee investigates how Dyfed Powys Police spends this extra money, how this sum of money mitigates the effects of second and empty homes in this county and benefits its residents.”
The matter was previously discussed at the council’s Governance and Audit Committee before being considered at yesterday’s March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.
A report for committee members at the time clarified that the additional revenue was not handed over to Dyfed-Powys Police.
It stated: “Whilst the introduction of the premiums does not increase the overall funding for Dyfed-Powys Police, it does change the proportion of their costs that Pembrokeshire is expected to fund.”
This means the police precept for a non-second-home average Band D property would increase from £290.16 to £296.12 without a second homes tax premium, committee members heard.
Committee members voted to not adopt Cllr Carter’s motion after the clarifying information, recommending full council did the same.
At the March 2 meeting members agreed to not adopt the motion after receiving the clarifying information.
Cllr Carter said there had been a great deal of confusion previously about the overall tax bill and the premium rates for second homes.
In moving a recommendation his own notice of motion not be adopted, he said: “I’m happy with what my notice of motion has achieved, and fully support the recommendations.”
Members voted the notice not be adopted.
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