Friday, December 09, 2016

Oakham Mayor Adam Lowe Decides Grant Thornton's External Audit Report is no longer a report

Oakham Mayor Adam Lowe Decides Grant Thornton's External Audit Report is no longer a report

For over nine months now I have been asking Oakham Town Council to consider the 2015 - 2016
Audit Report and the internal audit report.

At next weeks meeting we are being asked to note the internal audit report.

Depsite advice from Grant Thorton's that internal and external audit reports should considered  by council and we should make recommendations when we recieve them. It appears either our Mayor is stupid or does not read the reports that residents pay for. We should not just note them.

Unbleilable he has now decided the external audit report is no longer a report, although in his
email below he contradicts this by refering to both as reports.

I raised my concern and frustration about this simple task and was asked if I had a life?

Yes I do and part of that life is being a town councillor who wants us to follow procedures and
advice correctly.

In another email the Mayor attacks me by saying I am the problem, I think those reading his
email can make up their own mind, I certainly know who are the problem at Oakham Town
Council and that is not me.



Sent: Friday, December 09, 2016 at 2:32 PM
From: "Adam Lowe"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Cc: MJHaley , "Richard Haynes" , "Stan Stubbs" , "Vince Howard" , lucashackgreen , "Malcolm Plumb" , "Allison Greaves" , "Sally Anne Wadsworth" , "Peter Ind"

Subject: Re: Agenda

Martin

The audit report's from the Council internal auditor comes to Council when the Clerk presents it, there is not a timescale where the Clerk has operated outside of the procedural remit, if there is can you produce this please.

My understanding is the external audit is not strictly speaking a 'report' so I am unclear what the problem is.

As regards the 'letter' from Lee, this may be covered in my report as it is more of update and helps to clarify Team Ministry decisions, as such did not warrant being an agenda item.


Regards

Adam Lowe



In this email the Mayor also refers to a letter sent from our local vicar at All Saints Church
Oakham intended for all Councillors to read, but the council has decided we cant see it
even though The Rev Lee Dequani has said we can.

The Mayor decided it would be read out during an exempt item because the Vicar did not
want his letting published. I spoke to the Mayor and suggested it might not be good thing
to make this an agenda item. It would appear others have agreed with this.

What I annoys me is this is not the first time a member of the public has written to
all Councillors and we have not been given the letter.

We have no website so our contact details are not easily available to the public.

The Mayor and his deputy have no more powers than any other member and they
should stop running the council in the way they want. It should be run by us all so if
some one sends me a letter it should be given to me.