B COUNCIL TAX PAYERS' ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE 2004/05 BUDGET

1. The budget leaflet sent with each bill to the 525,000 council tax payers in Hampshire tells people how to contact the County Council if they require further information about the budget. In addition, the public also contact the County Council's information centres with queries and complaints about the council tax. In total there were 81 enquiries as analysed in the table below:

Dealt with by 2004/05
County Treasurer's Department 64
Information Centres 17

Method of contact
Letters 23
E-mails 20
Telephone 38
Visitor to Information Centre 0

2. Enquiries dealt with by the County Treasurer's Department represented the core of those that wished to raise points of substance, and the figure of 64 was significantly lower than the previous year's total of 175 (when the County Council council tax rise was 15%) though both figures remain a small proportion of the total number of council tax payers. The 64 enquiries dealt with by the County Treasurer's Department raised 88 issues, the majority of which were either seeking further clarification or had negative comments to make. The biggest category, but still only 13, was complaints regarding the size of the council tax increase.

3. The above statistics exclude enquiries to the Leader and Members.

T.K. THORNBER, CBE

Chairman

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

Published works.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE LOCATION

(A) South East Plan discussion Members' Room

papers (set of 11 papers)

Green Paper: the key issues Environment Environment Department

Department South East Regional Strategy

2006-2009 by the Regional Housing Board

(B) Council Taxpayers' Queries Treasurer's Department

2004/05

5aR65704