The Sliema local council is contesting ARMS bills running into tens of thousands of euros for public places, such as gardens and the promenade, which are owned by the Lands Authority.

In a statement on Monday, the council said that in retaliation, the utility company had cut off electricity supply to some areas, shutting down public water fountains in the process. 

It said that over the past years, the council received a number of ARMS bills for areas that had never been passed on to the council. The titleholder of such spaces, it said, was the Lands Authority. 

The council had stopped paying these bills in 2019. Since then, the council was never afforded any proof that it was responsible for the utility expenses of public gardens and the promenade.

While the Department for Local Government "categorically stated" that such payments were not the council's responsibility, in line with the Local Government Act, the Lands Authority had confirmed there had never been any land devolution of these areas in favour of the council. 

Council pays bills 'as sign of goodwill' 

ARMS subsequently provided proof that the bill accounts had been transferred to the council for some seven out of 13 metres.

"The council maintains that the titleholder of such public land  - the Lands Authority - should be responsible for the payment of the bills, and not the local council. This position is supported by the Local Councils Association," it said on Monday. 

The council noted that at the end of last month, the council decided, as a "sign of goodwill", to pay the amount due for the accounts that had been transferred to it. However, this was the last time it was going to settle the bill, and in the meantime, it will request the Lands Authority to take ownership of the accounts. 

It added that in recent months it had received bills amounting to €120,000 - well beyond the council's budget.

"If ARMS has aggressively imposed these bills on the Sliema local council for areas owned by the Lands Authority, notwithstanding the legal letters sent by the council, it will undoubtedly take the same threatening action with other local councils, depriving them of using their funds to better the standard of living and quality of life of the locality," it said. 

The council called on the government to find a solution.