Since 2013, Hartlepool Borough Council has been financially ran into the ground by its Labour leader Christopher Ackers Belcher. Hartlepool Borough Council now has a budget deficit of £6,000,000 and rising, this has been caused by gross mismanagement of the councils finances & inadequate long term financial planning. At a full council meeting on the 20th December 2018, the labour majority council voted in favour of yet another Council Tax increase of 3.9% adding another £50 per year to the average (Band A) Council Tax Bill.

Over the last 5 years, the people of Hartlepool have seen approximately £200.00 extra added to their council tax bill.

Hartlepool now has one of the highest default rates of residents falling behind with their council tax, namely due to a lack of support in place to protect the vulnerable & those on a low income, the Citizens Advice Bureau claim to be at breaking point with a huge increase in residents coming through their doors seeking debt advice, with Council Tax arrears being cited as the main reason as to why many are now falling into bankruptcy.

Hartlepool is now an Insolvency "Black Spot" with a higher than average amount of residents seeking personal insolvency as the only way they are able to remove the shackles of rising Council Tax debts. 

Whilst all this has gone on, the Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council elected himself, chair of Finance & Policy even though his financial experience only involved the administration of Housing Benefit, indicating clearly he is woefully inexperienced to be elected to the task of making such important financial decisions for the town let alone the £27,000 special responsibility allowance this role attracts.

In 2016, Mr Akers Belcher famously abused the councils own tendering procedures to his own advantage to secure a £140,000 per year council contract to provide “Healthwatch” services to the authority onto which he appointed himself manager, securing a further salary of approx. £40k & once again with seemingly no experience of the sector he was to work in.

He has used his position within the Local Authority to secure members of his family roles within the council including many of his colleagues who he has appointed into the roles that he has established using his position as an elected councillor of the borough, all at the expense of the Tax Payer of Hartlepool.

Further compounding an already spiralling financial crisis to the town, certain ward councillors within Hartlepool have used their positions as Elected Councillors to secure funding from the council to set up Charitable incorporated organisations that use council tax payer’s money to operate, then loose significant amounts of money every year only to fall into bankruptcy leaving the Tax Payer to foot the bill.

One such recent venture left the people of Hartlepool with a £200,000 bill when the organisation consistently ran into a loss every single year. With recent scandals relating to a failed charity called "The Manor Residents Association" which seen a Hartlepool Labour Councillor jailed for her part in that fraud, & the Hartlepool Labour Council have simply not learned from their mistakes of the past . It is now apparent that those elected to represent our once proud town are the ones themselves who are profiting out of the towns decline.

We are now being asked at Christmas of all times to find another 3.9% Council Tax increase which will now put many on the brink of financial ruin. 

The Hartlepool Labour Parties answer to all of this, Its all the Conservatives Fault here's another £10k for the food-banks. 

It is therefore put to the people of Hartlepool that this petition you sign serves as the people’s voice that we no longer have confidence in Hartlepool Borough Council to deliver its services to the people of this town on the points herein listed.

This petition serves as the peoples order that if sufficient signatures are collected, the council must hold an emergency meeting at its earliest possible opportunity and accept the people of Hartlepool’s petition that the public  no longer has confidence in Hartlepool Borough Council under the Hartlepool Labour Party & that the leader of Hartlepool Borough Council MUST step down immediately & allow an orderly leadership transition to take place in either an interim role or permanent fixture by vote in council.  

We the people of Hartlepool are the ones who elect you to your positions within the Council & if we feel that the position onto which we entrust you to enact the democratic will of this town is being abused, we have the right to formally remove you from your post. !

 

James Barker