South Ayrshire Council News

Councillor Bill McIntosh, the Council’s Portfolio Carrier for Resources and Performance said: “The South Ayrshire council tax collection figures have improved for 2007/8 and it is a tribute to the council tax payers themselves and to the Financial services staff whose duty it is to undertake the collection.

“The vast majority of people in South Ayrshire pay their Council tax promptly and I would like to thank them. It is this sort of co-operation from the public that is helping the Council to achieve such a high collection rate, with these funds being used to assist with the delivery of local services in South Ayrshire.

“I would like to reassure residents in South Ayrshire that the Council is committed to rigorously pursuing anyone who has not paid their council tax in full by the end of the financial year. Each year there is always an element of Council tax income, which is judged to be collectable in future years. The Council uses every legal option and opportunity to recover money owed, including all penalties incurred for late payment.

By working together I hope that the Council can achieve even higher collection rates in the future.”

The number of properties in South Ayrshire is increasing due to new building developments, with these Council Tax receipts being used to assist with the additional delivery demands on local services. The Council is keen to encourage all council tax payers to pay their Council tax by direct debit due to its convenience, and also as it is the most cost efficient method of payment for the Council.