The parish raises £1.3m. from rates and some £162,000 is still outstanding.
Parish officials have acknowledged that there have been some issues with bills this year as administrative and accounting errors led to some ratepayers not receiving their final bills, final demands being sent out to parishioners who had paid, and some incoming funds not showing up in the original accounts.
The original bills went out in July with a deadline for payment of 27 August, St Peter Port constable Zoe Lihou said.
‘We are now sending out reminders and final demands. Due to an administrative oversight there is a possibility that some ratepayers did not receive the first invoice in July and we apologise for final demands that were sent to ratepayers who had paid. However we are now advising that final demands will be sent out.’
The parish had thought that as much as £300,000 was outstanding, but that figure has been reduced when it was realised that due to human error direct bank payments were not recorded properly.
Douzeniers have also been concerned that its bills look similar to the States’ waste bills. So next year the invoices will go out earlier and on coloured paper.
‘It was felt appropriate this year to give people more time to pay. The mood music in the douzaine meeting in September was one of support to avoid imposing fines where possible,’ Mrs Lihou said.
‘It is not our role to add to people’s financial burden. We are here to help, support and represent the views and needs of the parish.
‘However, as we reach the end of September, we feel it is time for everyone to settle their accounts. If rates are not paid on receipt of reminders, fines will be applied.’
She also said that St Peter Port has some unique issues when it comes to collecting rates.
‘There’s a lot of expat owners and businesses, and it’s sometimes hard to get the bill to the right person.’
Mrs Lihou admitted that bills had also gone out late this year due to staffing issues. Stuffing envelopes by hand took up a huge amount of staff and volunteers’ time.
‘We have 9,000 letters to stuff by hand and that takes a huge amount of time, when we could be supporting the parish and doing the important work we are really there to do. We’d really like to use the Revenue Service’s letter-stuffing machine, and we’ve attempted to engage with them about using this.’
Forest, which sent out its rates bills after St Peter Port, has only two outstanding debts.
Vale parish officials, who had warned in early August that 150 households were in danger of being taken to court, have said there are now only 22 bills outstanding, four of those part-paid.
The remainder are running the risk of a Petty Debts Court summons.
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