Oakham Town Council 2015 - 2016 Accounts Town Council set to pay twice to prepare accounts again
I find the situation of Oakham Town Council accounts and procedures highly unacceptable.
The accounts have been prepared to a poor standard for many years.
At Wednesday meeting we are being asked to accept a proposal that we pay an outside
firm to once again carry out the Clerks work.
Approve the purchase of a highly priced accounting software package. Almost one
year on from the date some sort of purchase was highly recommended in a costly
report into the councils accounting procedures.
I have written and sent the following to members because Oakham Town Council often
force-ably stop me raising questions or issues I find with the councils accounting at
meetings this can be seen in the video above. When I attempted to pointed out
errors, mistakes or deliberate acts. The Mayor Alf Dewis kicked me out of the meeting
and then members unlawfully approved the statement of accounts in a locked office
this was later resubmitted to a council meeting with further changes.
Since that episode and the Streets report I have not voted to accept anything relating
to the accounts and won't until the council is a position where I can see and trust
everything recommended by Streets has been implemented.
To date I see little evidence of this happening there have been a few changes
unfortunately we still find this year despite being told it could not happen again
payments have been paid without full council consent.
This include over £4000 paid to plant scape ltd for watering plants paid
even though there was no contract in place or approval of full council
paid after this was raised with the Clerk.
Cllr Alf Dewis's unauthorised spending on HR spilled over from the last
financial year into this years.
Streets accountants bill was much higher than agreed by full council
The freedom of entry budget was exceeded and the catering bill was
huge most of the food ended up in the bin. The list goes on.
But constantly I am told it won't happen again so why does it happen
again and again?
Dear Oakham Town Council
Re: Accounts.
I am very disappointed to read the high cost of the proposed accounts software.
As a town council accounting activity is much lower than most small business's.
I find it hard to understand why it has taken so long to implement the required changes.
As we all know this change was recommended in the costly pointless report
produced by Streets Accountants.
I could personally produce suitable accounts for the council simply using Quicken
Books there is nothing complicated about OTC accounts, We operate a simple
book of receipts and payments, details of those transactions barely fill a sheet
of A4 paper each month. For this reason I find it unacceptable at this very late stage
of the financial year we are being asked to approve the use of an outside company to
produce rather simple accounts and the purchase of this very expensive software
package and its ongoing costs.
I know in the past the Clerk has been offended by comments, especially the
one I passed on in 2010 from a professional accountant who looked at the
accounts presented in that year.
It is not my intention to offend, it is simply obvious to me either the Clerk
can not or does not want to do this work?
As a Cllr I and others have responsibility to ensure all the public money
is correctly accounted for at a reasonable cost. These proposed costs
are not reasonable. I can not accept it is reasonable to pay an officer
to prepare accounts to only find we are now required to pay on top
of that sum an outside firm to carry out the required work.
The Clerk is paid a adequate sum of money as our finance officer and
should be capable of preparing the annual accounts. I understand the
failure last year was put down to his absence from work. Since then
the Clerk has had little absence and appears to be in good health so
why did he not source training from the beginning of this year. Considering
the position the council has found itself in regarding the 2015 -2016 accounts.
we are still awaiting a report from the external auditor, who has said
already the council will receive qualified accounts for 2015 - 2016
I would have thought knowing this the Council and the Clerk would
have done all it could so we did not find ourselves in the same embarrassing
position regarding the 2015 -2016 accounts.
Can I suggest we don't pay £4281 for the proposed accounts software
+ £750 additional annual cost and we consider obtaining full outside accounting services and
the Clerks pay is cut to cover these additional costs, or the council should
consider the cost of replacing the clerks role as financial officer with a person who
is capable of carrying out the required duties of the council financial officer.
Leaving the Clerk and his assistant free to carry out the other basic administrative
tasks of this council.
Streets accountants seem to have quoted a reasonable amount of £750 + VAT
to prepare the 2016 -2017 accounts. I would suggest caution and hope if this
work is approved we don't find extra charges as they carry out this work, as was
the case with the work they carried out for the 2015 -2016 accounts. The additional
large charges did not have council approval.
These have added to the list of disputed payments ready to be presented
to the external auditor this year.
If Streets or another firm of accountants were to take on the role of managing our
accounts in full there are many indicators those costs would
would save the council a lot of money. By cutting by cutting the current wages
bill wich is currently the highest expenditure continually rising cost for this council.
From
Cllr Martin Brookes OSE Ward
I find the situation of Oakham Town Council accounts and procedures highly unacceptable.
The accounts have been prepared to a poor standard for many years.
At Wednesday meeting we are being asked to accept a proposal that we pay an outside
firm to once again carry out the Clerks work.
Approve the purchase of a highly priced accounting software package. Almost one
year on from the date some sort of purchase was highly recommended in a costly
report into the councils accounting procedures.
I have written and sent the following to members because Oakham Town Council often
force-ably stop me raising questions or issues I find with the councils accounting at
meetings this can be seen in the video above. When I attempted to pointed out
errors, mistakes or deliberate acts. The Mayor Alf Dewis kicked me out of the meeting
and then members unlawfully approved the statement of accounts in a locked office
this was later resubmitted to a council meeting with further changes.
Since that episode and the Streets report I have not voted to accept anything relating
to the accounts and won't until the council is a position where I can see and trust
everything recommended by Streets has been implemented.
To date I see little evidence of this happening there have been a few changes
unfortunately we still find this year despite being told it could not happen again
payments have been paid without full council consent.
This include over £4000 paid to plant scape ltd for watering plants paid
even though there was no contract in place or approval of full council
paid after this was raised with the Clerk.
Cllr Alf Dewis's unauthorised spending on HR spilled over from the last
financial year into this years.
Streets accountants bill was much higher than agreed by full council
The freedom of entry budget was exceeded and the catering bill was
huge most of the food ended up in the bin. The list goes on.
But constantly I am told it won't happen again so why does it happen
again and again?
Dear Oakham Town Council
Re: Accounts.
I am very disappointed to read the high cost of the proposed accounts software.
As a town council accounting activity is much lower than most small business's.
I find it hard to understand why it has taken so long to implement the required changes.
As we all know this change was recommended in the costly pointless report
produced by Streets Accountants.
I could personally produce suitable accounts for the council simply using Quicken
Books there is nothing complicated about OTC accounts, We operate a simple
book of receipts and payments, details of those transactions barely fill a sheet
of A4 paper each month. For this reason I find it unacceptable at this very late stage
of the financial year we are being asked to approve the use of an outside company to
produce rather simple accounts and the purchase of this very expensive software
package and its ongoing costs.
I know in the past the Clerk has been offended by comments, especially the
one I passed on in 2010 from a professional accountant who looked at the
accounts presented in that year.
It is not my intention to offend, it is simply obvious to me either the Clerk
can not or does not want to do this work?
As a Cllr I and others have responsibility to ensure all the public money
is correctly accounted for at a reasonable cost. These proposed costs
are not reasonable. I can not accept it is reasonable to pay an officer
to prepare accounts to only find we are now required to pay on top
of that sum an outside firm to carry out the required work.
The Clerk is paid a adequate sum of money as our finance officer and
should be capable of preparing the annual accounts. I understand the
failure last year was put down to his absence from work. Since then
the Clerk has had little absence and appears to be in good health so
why did he not source training from the beginning of this year. Considering
the position the council has found itself in regarding the 2015 -2016 accounts.
we are still awaiting a report from the external auditor, who has said
already the council will receive qualified accounts for 2015 - 2016
I would have thought knowing this the Council and the Clerk would
have done all it could so we did not find ourselves in the same embarrassing
position regarding the 2015 -2016 accounts.
Can I suggest we don't pay £4281 for the proposed accounts software
+ £750 additional annual cost and we consider obtaining full outside accounting services and
the Clerks pay is cut to cover these additional costs, or the council should
consider the cost of replacing the clerks role as financial officer with a person who
is capable of carrying out the required duties of the council financial officer.
Leaving the Clerk and his assistant free to carry out the other basic administrative
tasks of this council.
Streets accountants seem to have quoted a reasonable amount of £750 + VAT
to prepare the 2016 -2017 accounts. I would suggest caution and hope if this
work is approved we don't find extra charges as they carry out this work, as was
the case with the work they carried out for the 2015 -2016 accounts. The additional
large charges did not have council approval.
These have added to the list of disputed payments ready to be presented
to the external auditor this year.
If Streets or another firm of accountants were to take on the role of managing our
accounts in full there are many indicators those costs would
would save the council a lot of money. By cutting by cutting the current wages
bill wich is currently the highest expenditure continually rising cost for this council.
From
Cllr Martin Brookes OSE Ward
