Tax black hole
UNION bosses have urged Glasgow city council to help beat public-sector cuts by chasing council tax arrears of almost £15 million.
GMB revealed the council tops Scotland's league with 14.7m remaining uncollected since 2009/10.
And with more than 43m nationally still to be raked in by the country's 32 councils, the public services union reckons it's time to make non payment a thing of the past.
GMB Scotland secretary Harry Donaldson said: "This level of uncollected local taxes cannot be accepted at a time when there are deficits in public finances which are giving rise to cuts in public services and job losses at a time of high unemployment.
"Councillors should join GMB in asking the Scottish parliament and Westminster to change the rules to make non-payment virtually impossible.
"The poorest in our society and those on benefits have their local taxes paid by central government. So it is not a question of can't pay, but rather won't pay".
Accountant Gerald McGlaughlin from Shawlands pays council tax and thinks city authorities should be chasing those who don't "before it starts laying folk off and making drastic cuts".
The 29-year-old told The Extra: "I didn't think the council was that well off it could afford to do without 15 million. That kind of cash would make a real difference to communities across the city".
Yesterday councillor Stephen Curran claimed more of Glasgow's council tax bills are being paid than ever before with collection rates in 09/10 at their highest-ever levels.
He declared: "The increase is particularly encouraging during the economic downturn and in securing major year-on-year revenue collection improvements, Glasgow is bucking the trend".
Mr Curran pledged: "We will continue to make it as easy as possible to pay council tax and to claim any rebates, but we will also vigorously pursue those who try to dodge their share".
While insisting everyone pays up, he pointed out that "the council's duty is to spend the public's money efficiently on what is important -- education, jobs and the economy, and targeted support of our most vulnerable".
Mr McGlaughlin observed: "I don't blame those who haven't paid, though. It's up to the councils to come up with new rules that make non payment impossible".
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Weather for Glasgow
Thursday 09 February 2012
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Light rain
Temperature: 4 C to 7 C
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