Certain candidates standing in this week’s by-election should be made to “put right” incorrect claims that Falmouth Town Council put up its precept by 11.9% this year, councillors were told this week.

Speaking at a meeting of its Finance and General Purposes Committee last week, Cllr Steve Eva said the claim was on a leaflet going around town prior to the by-election taking place in the Penwerris ward this Thursday.

Cllr Eva told the committee: “There’s a leaflet going around from the candidates standing for Cornwall Council which indicates that the precept the town council put out this year has gone up by 11.8% this year. That is incorrect.

“That’s what they’ve got on their leaflet and I just think they should be made to put that right.”

Falmouth Town Council councillors voted to increase the 2024/25 precept by 1.93% at an extraordinary meeting of the council in January.

Finance officer Ruth Thomas told the committee that she had analysed the figures as there wasn’t just one leaflet with the “incorrect” precept information going around but two.

She said she had pulled together the precept increases over the past five years and the council will be putting out information setting out the correct precept values.

Cllr Robinson said she’d seen a Facebook post that said that the council could pay the precept from its assets.

Cllr John Spargo said he didn’t think the leaflet came from a Cornwall councillor candidate but was actually from a town council candidate, which other councillors agreed with.

However leaflet from independent candidates for the Penwerris ward Mark Peters and Kevin Burrows seen by the Packet actually refers to the 23/24 precept which was 11.93% as confirmed by Falmouth Town Council to the Packet. 

"I've attached the leaflet that myself and Kevin Burrows (Independent Candidates) have been distributing, and as you can see, it clearly states the precept for 23/24 @ 11.93%," said Mr Peters.

"Perhaps Councillor Eva is confused, although as you can see the leaflet is in black & white.
"This figure was obtained from the official Town Council website.

"It does not state 24/25 which is a different year."

It will be to elect a Cornwall Councillor for the Falmouth and Penwerris ward and two town councillors for the Penwerris ward.

Standing in the town council elections are Kevin Burrows and Mark Peters as independents while Tom Pearce and Danny Konik are standing for Labour. Jeffrey Muir is standing for the Liberal Democrats and Jackie Walkden is standing for the Green party.

Standing for the Cornwall Council seat is current Falmouth mayor Cllr Alan Rowe for Labour, current town councillor John Spargo for the Liberal Democrats and Jackie Walkden for the Green party.