Conservative Councillor Neill Watts was left 'mortified'.
A Conservative councillor who argued that a rise in council tax was too high during a budget meeting should have been barred from taking part because of tax arrears.
Mr Mitchell also told the hearing that he didn’t believe checks had been made on councillors’ finances ahead of the budget meeting. It was only during an adjournment that an official told him that Cllr Watts was in arrears. He said: “Councillor Watts’ position was that he believed that whilst the repayment arrangement was in place, that he had in effect, cleared those earlier debts, and there may have been some either misunderstanding or confusion.” The level of arrears and potential breach of law led to EAC chief executive, Eddie Fraser, making a complaint to both the Standards Commission and the police. The Procurator Fiscal eventually chose not to pursue criminal proceedings.
Councillor Watts told the panel that he had endured a stressful period of upheaval at the time of selling his previous home, years before becoming a councillor. He said he believed the declaration he made when he became a councillor related to his current home, not his previous one.
East Ayrshire Council Ayrshire Police Ayrshire Politics Ayrshire Crime Ayrshire News Labour Party Scottish National Party Taxes Cumnock Ayr News Kilmarnock News
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Scots Tory councillor says he 'won't be lectured to' by anti-sectarian charityEXCLUSIVE: David Wilson, a member of Inverclyde Council, hit out at an SNP suggestion that all elected members attend training on anti-sectarianism.
Read more »
Lucy Connolly: Childminder married to Tory councillor pleads guilty to stirring up racial hatredConnolly posted on X on the day of the Southport stabbings when false claims had spread on social media that the attacker was an illegal migrant.
Read more »
Wife of Tory councillor admits stirring up racial hatred with online postLucy Connolly’s husband, Tory councillor Raymond Connolly, watched from the public gallery as she pleaded guilty
Read more »
Tory councillor's wife faces 'substantial jail term' after pleading guilty to racial hatred charges linked...The wife of a Tory councillor who called on rioters to 'set fire to all migrant hotels' on social media has admitted to stirring up racial hatred.
Read more »
Childminder Lucy Connolly married to Tory councillor admits stirring up racial hatred against asylum...Riots have flared throughout the country, fuelled by misinformation following the killing of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged his 'full support' for police to take action.
Read more »
Childminder Lucy Connolly married to Tory councillor admits stirring up racial hatred against asylum...Riots have flared throughout the country, fuelled by misinformation following the killing of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged his 'full support' for police to take action.
Read more »