Oakham Town Council Accounts Objections 2015 - 2016
For the benefit of the resident who publishes I am washing the town council dirty washing in
public before unlawfulness has been proved, I would tend to disagree this is public money or Mrs Thatchers
description Taxpayers money so everything I share as a Cllr or a registered voter and taxpayer is to ensure openness
and transparency.
The recent qualified audit report explains no Councillor or even employee can incur
any expenditure without full authority of the councils full membership if they do it is unlawful
There are a few exceptional defined circumstances which permit a very limited amount of expenditure by employees if they discuss it with at least two Councillors first.
The following payments are unlawful because either a Councillor or employee incurred
the expenditure without complying with the council financial regulations or laws.
29th April 2015 Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd. £120
20th June 2015 Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd £120
When the council realised a individual Councillor had unlawfully entered the council
into a contract with Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd the matter was brought
before council and the contract was terminated. So far the council has not recovered
the £240 from the former member.
Back in 2012 the council agreed a one year contract with Plantscape Ltd and followed
the correct procedures. The bill was correctly paid in full in 2013. Despite the minutes
of the council clearly stating the contract was for one year only the contract was not
re tendered and in 2014 the amount billed to the council increased. The council approved
the 2014 payment apparently not aware there was no contract in place or authority from
council to use the Services of Plantscape Ltd.
In 2015 members of the council received a email from a member of staff seeking
consent to pay Plantscape Ltd a large sum of money because the invoice due date
was before the next meeting date. I questioned the members of staff authority to
pay they only had delegated power to pay up to £500 in cases of an emergency.
The law is very clear that all large payments must be approved by full council.
Last year Plantscape Ltd was paid two large sums of money with no contract
or authority from the council, this is unlawful.
15th July 2015 Plantscape Ltd £8688.90
16th September 2015 Plantscape Ltd £6960.00
December 2015 Oakham Town Council paid Oakham Town Partnership
without any consent or authority of the full council.
5th November 2015 Oakham Town Partnership £1000
The member of public who says I should wait for the unlawful payments to
be proved is wrong, as a Councillor I can get easier access to the accounts
and ask questions I can see the required paper trail for auditing does not exist.
Members of the public only get a very limited time to visit or ask questions. It is
a councillors duty to fill the gap.
Since the departure of the Mayor there has been great improvement at the
council. All members are now permitted access to the council office if
it is part of their work as a Councillor. If a Councillor asks to see a file
or an invoice it no longer needs to be approved or rejected by the Mayor.
The disputed payments shown here are a sample or token to keep costs
down. The finance working group are aware of my objections as a Cllr
They will be meeting with myself and the Clerk and will seek legal
advice to see how the issues will be be noted on this years accounts.
This is a huge change last year I was excluded and bullied by the Mayor
and old guard.
As a council we want to move forward in a good way, the council is to
be run by all members as the law requires not just the chairman and his
deputy.
The Council is aware as an elector that I will be objecting the payments
with the auditor.
I am not being maverick and subversive a very few people connected to
the council suggested recently, every elector has the right to object to
unlawful payments. I guess in my case it is easier to know what is unlawful
as a Councillor or as before last year a member of the public who attends
all meetings.
I and other members hope with the implementation of new accounting
software and other financial protections put in place for the 2016 - 2017
none of the past unlawful activity will be repeated.
For the benefit of the resident who publishes I am washing the town council dirty washing in
public before unlawfulness has been proved, I would tend to disagree this is public money or Mrs Thatchers
description Taxpayers money so everything I share as a Cllr or a registered voter and taxpayer is to ensure openness
and transparency.
The recent qualified audit report explains no Councillor or even employee can incur
any expenditure without full authority of the councils full membership if they do it is unlawful
There are a few exceptional defined circumstances which permit a very limited amount of expenditure by employees if they discuss it with at least two Councillors first.
The following payments are unlawful because either a Councillor or employee incurred
the expenditure without complying with the council financial regulations or laws.
29th April 2015 Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd. £120
20th June 2015 Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd £120
When the council realised a individual Councillor had unlawfully entered the council
into a contract with Personnel Advice Solutions Ltd the matter was brought
before council and the contract was terminated. So far the council has not recovered
the £240 from the former member.
Back in 2012 the council agreed a one year contract with Plantscape Ltd and followed
the correct procedures. The bill was correctly paid in full in 2013. Despite the minutes
of the council clearly stating the contract was for one year only the contract was not
re tendered and in 2014 the amount billed to the council increased. The council approved
the 2014 payment apparently not aware there was no contract in place or authority from
council to use the Services of Plantscape Ltd.
In 2015 members of the council received a email from a member of staff seeking
consent to pay Plantscape Ltd a large sum of money because the invoice due date
was before the next meeting date. I questioned the members of staff authority to
pay they only had delegated power to pay up to £500 in cases of an emergency.
The law is very clear that all large payments must be approved by full council.
Last year Plantscape Ltd was paid two large sums of money with no contract
or authority from the council, this is unlawful.
15th July 2015 Plantscape Ltd £8688.90
16th September 2015 Plantscape Ltd £6960.00
December 2015 Oakham Town Council paid Oakham Town Partnership
without any consent or authority of the full council.
5th November 2015 Oakham Town Partnership £1000
The member of public who says I should wait for the unlawful payments to
be proved is wrong, as a Councillor I can get easier access to the accounts
and ask questions I can see the required paper trail for auditing does not exist.
Members of the public only get a very limited time to visit or ask questions. It is
a councillors duty to fill the gap.
Since the departure of the Mayor there has been great improvement at the
council. All members are now permitted access to the council office if
it is part of their work as a Councillor. If a Councillor asks to see a file
or an invoice it no longer needs to be approved or rejected by the Mayor.
The disputed payments shown here are a sample or token to keep costs
down. The finance working group are aware of my objections as a Cllr
They will be meeting with myself and the Clerk and will seek legal
advice to see how the issues will be be noted on this years accounts.
This is a huge change last year I was excluded and bullied by the Mayor
and old guard.
As a council we want to move forward in a good way, the council is to
be run by all members as the law requires not just the chairman and his
deputy.
The Council is aware as an elector that I will be objecting the payments
with the auditor.
I am not being maverick and subversive a very few people connected to
the council suggested recently, every elector has the right to object to
unlawful payments. I guess in my case it is easier to know what is unlawful
as a Councillor or as before last year a member of the public who attends
all meetings.
I and other members hope with the implementation of new accounting
software and other financial protections put in place for the 2016 - 2017
none of the past unlawful activity will be repeated.
