Last year, St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft’s bid to make the States start paying rates on its properties in 2017 was blocked at the eleventh hour after Members raised technical concerns about the proposition, including over whether rateable properties might include main roads.
The States had previously approved budget proposals to pay rates for 2017, however, meaning that a sum of £899,960.48, went unspent.
That money was allocated to the Infrastructure Department, which owns the States property portfolio through Jersey Property Holdings.
Before the summer recess, Mr Crowcroft lodged a proposition calling for the surplus to be allocated to the parishes on a pro-rata basis to spend on infrastructure projects.
But after further discussion between States Members, he has now lodged proposals calling for the parishes to be allocated the money to allow them to spend it however they see fit.
The report accompanying his proposition says: ‘Over the summer the Infrastructure Minister sought Members’ views ahead of the debate, with most of the responses copied to me indicating that members believed that these funds should be released to the parishes with “no strings attached” and to parish budgets as rates income in the normal way …
‘I met HM Attorney General on 18 August to seek his advice and I am grateful to him and his officers for their assistance in this matter.
‘The new proposition proposes an allocation of the funds to the parishes and, if the proposition is approved by the States, it will be left to individual parishes to decide whether to spend the sums on infrastructure projects or not; and, if they do wish to spend the money on projects, whether they ask the Infrastructure Department to implement them or not.’
If the proposition is approved, St Helier would receive the largest share of the funds – £642,130.47 – due to the fact most States buildings are located there.’
Mr Crowcroft said that schemes which the parish could use the money for included pedestrian safety improvements on Tower Road and the development of a ‘Village Improvement Scheme’ at Havre des Pas.
A proposition, also lodged by the Constable, calling for Treasury Minister Alan Maclean to bring forward proposals for parish rates to be paid by the States next year, was approved by the States on 23 May.
