Oakham Town Council to Consider Co-opting Two New Members in Secret

Oakham Town Council to Consider Co-opting Two New Members in Secret

It is hard to believe the government said it would be enforcing the new transparancy
code from July this year.

Oakham Town Council has not complied or even considered the new code for
a long time now a small part of the council has thought the council is above the law
of the land.


Dear Allison (Clerk)

It is required by law that the process for co-option must be open and transparent.


Here is what a councils legal services sent to a parish council some years ago

I can think of no reason why a decision as to which (if any) candidate for co-option to a casual vacancy on a parish council could ever be in the public interest to make in secret.

any consideration of the merits/demerits of the candidates should be open and transparent in my view.

We do have the procedure permitted by our standing orders for signed votes if members wish to use that way of voting.

I find it astonishing that our chairman Cllr Michael Haley who once stuffed an election leaflet through my door claiming he stood for openness and transparency is now insisting the council makes all its co-option process secret.

Some year ago Oakham Town Council did co-opt in secret and the Mayor wrote to me to say it was a mistake and would not happen again, So why is it happening again next week.


From

Martin Brookes