North Somerset Lib Dem News
return to headline pageLib Dems slam ruling group on decision to allow senior councillors to make bigger financial decisions without council consent.
PRESS RELEASE
FROM
NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL LIBERAL DEMOCRAT GROUP
Release: - Immediate
Contact; - Cllr Deborah Yamanaka 01934 862109
Lib Dems slam ruling group on decision to allow senior councillors to make bigger financial decisions without council consent.
Liberal Democrat Councillors have slammed a decision taken by Conservative councillors on North Somerset Council to give Executive councillors the power to sign off contracts worth up to £5 million.
Lib Dem Leader Deborah Yamanaka said “This change to the constitution will restrict the number of decisions that are taken at full Council meetings. Only the 8 Executive councillors will be able to approve contracts up to £5 million where previously all 61 councillors had a say. When public funds are at stake it is important that all elected councillors should be fully aware of the decisions to be made and be able to debate them at full Council meetings.”
The decision will allow the 8 members of the Executive the ability to sign off contracts to a limit of £5 million, raised from the previous limit of £2.5 million, with individual Executive members able to sign contracts up to £1 million raised from £499,999.
Liberal Democrat and other opposition councillors put forward an amendment to keep the limit for the whole Executive committee at £2.5 million with individual Executive member decisions kept to £499,999, but it was rejected by the ruling Conservative group.
Amendment from opposition councillors
Authorisation to enter into a contract -- to read
a) Up to £139,999 Director
b) £140,000 - £499,999 Executive Member
c) £500,000 - £2,499,000 Executive
d) Over £2,500,000 Council
Proposal from the ruling Conservative group
Authorisation to enter into a contract -- to read
a) Up to £139,999 Director
b) £140,000 - £999,999 Executive Member
c) £1,000,000 - £4,499,000 Executive
d) Over £5,000,000 Council
Lib Dem Financial spokesman Cllr Chris Howell said “It is disappointing that the ruling group prefer individual Executive members to make major decisions on contracts up to £1 million without consulting either full Council or the other 7 Executive members. We would like individual Executive member decisions to be kept down to £500,000, the 8-member Executive committee to make decisions from £500,000 up to £2.5 million with decisions above that debated at full Council.”
ENDS