Mr David Richardson (Independent)
71 Brooke Road
Oakham
Rutland LE15 6HG
email: drichardson@rutland.gov.uk
As Councillors we set the vision for the electorate, determining just what sort of services we want in the County to meet the needs and the aspirations of the electorate.
To do that Councillors must know exactly how much has been spent, how much is left to spend and is it legal. In order to know exactly what has been spent it is essential Councillors are presented on a regular basis with clear and precise accounts. When I was previously a Councillor, for 8 years, this was done, however, what we now have is a shambolic unintelligible mess that, as far as we are concerned, are only meaningful to those that write them.
In the past we had regular Committee Meetings for each Department, with the accounts presented for that Department as one would expect in any business. The detail included such items as expenditure on staffing, stationery, furniture, lease cars, mileage allowance, telephones, conferences, etc. etc. Now the accounts are presented in some vague meaningless chart, without even Department titles but meaningless headings such as Team 1, Team 2 right through to Team 12.
When I was re-elected in May last year I immediately asked for a full breakdown of the Accounts for the last 2 years to bring myself back up to date with the current financial position. Unbelievably, I was told:
“The budget information you have received for 2009/10 and 2010/11 is to the same level of detail that was provided to all Councillors for each year therefore I am unable to provide you with the breakdown below this level for each section.”I cannot believe Councillors accepted this level of detail.
I then replied:
“On the matter of the budget, I state again, I want the breakdown of information, as requested, in my capacity as a Member of Corporate Scrutiny. This information was made readily available before and if Councillors are now making decisions based on the information you have provided I am surprised to say the least. You most certainly have these details on a spread sheet, so they must be readily available, I know in the past it went even further than this to itemised receipts for every item, a copy of which I have for certain areas.Needless to say this breakdown was never provided.
For example on the Taxpayers Alliance it states that in 2008/09 Rutland spent £399,000 on mileage allowance, one needs to see the comparison for 2009/10 and 2010/11. This would need to be monitored closely, when I was a Councillor before I had details of this type of information Department by Department, in order to give totals for the whole Council and ascertain where the pressure pointe are.
I would, therefore, ask that you make this information, as requested, available at the earliest opportunity.”
We now have a situation whereby, as Councillors, we have absolutely no proper detail of the expenditure on Rutland Council, we have no proper idea of staffing levels, payroll, stationery costs, furniture, lease cars, fuel costs, conferences, etc. etc.
The problem then is; how can Councillors make any form of intelligible decision on expenditure or, for that matter, come to any proper decision on the Statement of Accounts?
Furthermore, it is a recipe for potential financial irregularities when there is no proper method for scrutinising the accounts in detail.
All of this comes under the responsibility of Councillor Pocock, as the Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Resources.
If he has the same unintelligible set of accounts as presented to us then I am amazed if he has the remotest clue as to what is exactly going on.
This was all reflected in the diabolical mess Rutand Council had with the presentation of the Statement of Accounts for 2010/11 and now has for this year, 2011/12.
We will provide detail about this in the next blog and perhaps then the public can make their own judgement on how well Councillor Pocock is fulfilling his role as the Portfolio Holder for Resources.
Tory Councillor Pocock is the councils Jester, i have never attended a meeting where he has not sat slouched iin his chair and attempt to crack some pointless joke that appears to only be funny and understood if you a Rutland Tory, I assume he evn has a gag up his sleeve about the accounts....
