Bristol residents have been left outraged after discovering their council wasted nearly £200,000 of public money correcting a minor printing error on council tax bills.
The Costly Typo That Sparked Outrage
Bristol City Council dispatched 239,143 clarification letters last month to address what they described as a "typographical error" on this year's council tax bills. The expensive mail-out came despite the mistake having absolutely no impact on the amounts households were required to pay.
The error involved switching the percentage increases for two precepts included in council tax payments. The police and crime commissioner for Avon and Somerset should have been listed as a five per cent increase, while the Avon Fire Authority increase was 5.9 per cent. However, the council printed these figures the wrong way round on initial bills.
Legal Obligation or Wasteful Spending?
Despite the error being purely presentational and not affecting the total amount due, legislation required the council to formally notify all affected households about the mistake. This legal requirement led to the massive £198,000 expenditure on printing and postage for the correction letters.
Furious bill payers have questioned why the council relied on traditional postal letters rather than using more cost-effective email notifications. Many residents are demanding answers about whether this was the most efficient way to handle the situation.
Political Scrutiny and Council Response
The costly blunder has drawn political attention, with Labour Councillor Don Alexander and Liberal Democrat Cllr Nicholas Coombes seeking further information during a member forum meeting. Both councillors received written responses from council officials about the incident.
A council spokesperson confirmed: "All households who had received a council tax bill during the current financial year received the letter of clarification. The cost of print and postage for the letters was £198k."
The incident has raised serious questions about council efficiency and spending priorities at a time when many households are struggling with the cost of living crisis and rising council tax bills.
