Taxpayers are expressing anger over having to cover a bill of £200,000 due to a minor printing mistake made by a council. Bristol City Council sent out 239,143 letters last month to rectify a “typo” on the council tax bills for this year, even though the error did not impact the actual payment amounts for households.
Many frustrated taxpayers are questioning why the council opted for traditional postal letters instead of utilizing email and what the legal obligations entailed. The council tax bills include minor precepts for the Avon Fire Authority and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, which saw a respective increase of five percent for the commissioner and 5.9 percent for the fire authority this year.
The council mistakenly switched the percentage figures on the initial bills, indicating 5.9 percent for the commissioner and five percent for the fire authority. Although the overall council tax bill remains the same, regulations mandated the council to send out letters to households clarifying the mistake, according to a report by Bristol Post.
The expenses incurred for printing and mailing these letters amounted to a substantial £198,000. Labour Councillor Don Alexander and Liberal Democrat Cllr Nicholas Coombes sought additional details during a member forum meeting, receiving written responses in return.
A council spokesperson responded by confirming that all households who had received a council tax bill this financial year also received the clarification letter, with the cost of printing and postage totaling £198k.
