Councillors oppose so far non-existent tax plans

Councillors have opposed any potential future mayoral council tax precept, despite there being "no plans" to impose it.

The mayoral strategic authority (NEMSA), is jointly run by the Mayor Kim McGuinness and the leaders of seven councils, including Sunderland City Council, with several aims including improving infrastructure and creating jobs.

At a council meeting last week in Sunderland, Reform UK, Liberal Democrats and Labour councillors all backed a motion entitled "say no to a mayoral council tax".

Although the mayoral authority has the legal power to levy a precept on council tax bills, NEMSA said there were no plans for it, adding it "did not understand what has motivated this motion".

The original motion, launched by the opposition Wearside Liberal Democrats, asked the council to write to the North East Mayor to ask her to rule out introducing a mayoral precept.

It also called on the leader of the council, and anyone deputising for the leader when attending NEMSA meetings, to "oppose the introduction of a mayoral precept on council tax bills".

Wearside Liberal Democrats leader, Paul Edgeworth, said there was a "huge risk" that bus franchising in the North East would not work "without introducing a new level of mayoral council tax in order to staff and run a publicly-run bus network".

"This isn't sustainable for individuals and families that are struggling to make ends meet and who feel like they aren't getting value for money from these services already," Edgeworth said.

Councillor Andrew Ramsey, deputy Reform UK council leader, launched an amendment to "strengthen" the original motion.

"I think we should send a big message to the national government and show a unified front as Sunderland and reject this on behalf of our residents."

A North East Mayoral Strategic Authority spokesperson, in a statement after the council meeting, said: "There are no plans to introduce a precept and there never have been.

"We don't understand what has motivated this motion," they added.

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