A LOMOND North councillor at the centre of a row over unpaid rent and council tax arrears has told the Advertiser he believes the publication of his name is politically-motivated.

Two weeks ago the Advertiser reported that Robert MacIntyre had taken part in Argyll and Bute Council's annual budget and council tax meetings while owing more than £2,400 in unpaid council tax.

His name became public knowledge less than three months before this May's local authority elections as a result of freedom of information requests by two other councillors, George Freeman and Michael Breslin.

And Cllr MacIntyre says the only reason he can think of for the information being released now is in the hope of influencing him not to stand.

Cllr MacIntyre was dealing with the aftermath of his daughter's death, and with his wife's health problems, when he ran up arrears of £1,200 on the dates of the authority's 2013 and 2014 budget meetings.

The council's standing orders state that any elected councillor with two months' arrears of council tax “may not participate in certain decisions concerning council tax issues, in order to preserve public confidence that councillors are taking decisions in the general public interest”.

But Cllr MacIntyre insisted this week that he could not remember being made aware of the rule on council tax arrears.

He said: “I can't remember any time I was made aware of it, if I was.

“I wasn't advised by anyone, such as George Freeman, who is an experienced councillor, and who knew I was trying to sort out my council tax.

“George was my group leader when I went into the council. I would have hoped he would have advised me not to take part in the budget when he knew I had tax arrears.

“When George pursued this, he knew fine I was the only one whose name would come out. How would you feel if it was done to you by someone you used to vote with?

“It's not as if I wasn't going to pay them. If I've made a mistake, I've made a mistake, and if they want to hang me out to dry it's their choice as councillors.

“But from what I can gather very few people are really interested in doing that. If I've made a mistake I can only apologise and say I've learned my lesson and it will not happen again.”

Cllr MacIntyre said the row would not prevent him standing for re-election in May's poll.

He continued: “I don't know why this has got to come up now, four years later and just before an election. It hurts a bit.

“I never went out with the intention of breaking any rules. I didn't claim any council expenses for the first two years I was in the council until this was all sorted out.

“I know it doesn't work that way, but if you check my expenses for the first two years I was on the council there's very little there – only telephone expenses, which are applied automatically.

“I just don't think I've been a bad councillor, except that I've made a mistake.”

Cllr MacIntyre's daughter Eleanor died in 2010, and his wife, Marion, who has diabetes, was later confined to a wheelchair after losing both her legs due to complications with her illness.

Mrs MacIntyre also later suffered a stroke.

Cllr MacIntyre acknowledged: “It's a complicated life I have, but I try to do my best for the people I represent. I'm just trying to explain the position I'm in.

“Life wasn't very great for a while, and this is why I'm so hurt at George going down this road.

“He knows my position. He knows the family and the history, and I just don't understand why he's doing this, when there's no real benefit other than trying to get me not to stand at the next election.”

Councillor Freeman responded: “I am most disappointed at the line Robert is now taking on this issue as this has been a two and a half year campaign to clear my name and certainly has nothing to do with the upcoming elections. 

“Over 18 years as a councillor, I have never had to resort to any “dirty tricks” at any election and certainly do not intend doing so now.

“Although a number of councillors tried to get that information at the time, no councillor was aware of which councillors had failed to pay their council tax as officers were adamant that they would not release that information. 

"The rumours at that time were that it was councillors from the Mid Argyll area.  There was never any suggestion that a Helensburgh and Lomond councillor was involved. 

“That is why I was so surprised when officers informed me it was Robert MacIntyre.  Although I was provided with his name, I refused to pass it on to anyone else.

“Although Robert and I were the only two members of the smallest political group within the council for a very short period, Robert has also been a member of other political groups within the council. 

“We both became members of the Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group (TALIG).  Although I resigned from TALIG last year, Robert remains a member. 

“I have checked minutes of past TALIG meetings and at no time did Councillor Ellen Morton, as leader of the group, remind members of the group of the regulations on council tax arrears.  

“In my 18 years as a councillor, I have never heard any group leader raise this issue.

“One of the first things that all councillors do is to read and approve the council constitution in which this regulation is made clear. 

“All councillors also have the councillors' code of conduct, which is their 'bible', and the separate Guidance on the Councillors Code of Conduct, both of which make the regulations on council tax clear. 

“There is certainly no need for anyone to remind any councillor of what most councillors would considered to be, the most important regulation that councillors must comply with. 

“Although I cannot refer to it all here, I have gathered a great deal of information on this issue over the past two and a half years and would be happy to make that public if I consider there is a need to do so.”