Meeting Monday 7.30
Posted on
August 05, 2009 by
Teresa Pearce
On Monday 11 August the Audit Committee will meet at Bexley Civic Office to consider the investigation into the use of a Bexley Council Corporate Purchasing Card issued to Mr Clement, former Leader of the Council. The card was used during the period from 1 July 2007 to 4 May 2008.
The investigation will detail findings against the reviews terms of reference and conclude whether or not there is prima facie evidence of fraud or improper expenditure.
The public can attend this meeting but have no speaking rights.
I will be there and I would urge all other interested parties to attend.
Its at 7.30 at Bexley Civic Offices
Teresa, I’ve been watching your website since I noticed (because you linked to mine, and thanks for that). I just wanted to ask, do you think there should be a greater direct role for the public in council politics?
The Council has already resolved to recover over £2000 in expenses, and this has been covered by local media. Ostensibly, the Audit Committee will be able to suggest further recommendations beyond what Teresa O’Neill has done – e.g. no further cards to Council members.
But isn’t the audit committee partisan and unlikely to take any action beyond what has already been done? The public can be there, do you think that the public should have the right to submit ideas which the Audit Committee should consider in respect of its mandate to review expenses arrangements?
I do think there should be a greater ability for the public to interact with the council meetings. I realise that you elect people to do a job so you cant have everyone as a decision maker but you could have much better public scrutiny. At present a resident can submit a question to full council but those questions are not dealt with well, you get a verbal response and no come back. You should at least have a subsequent written reply.
I would like each council meeting to have an agenda item that allows questions or queries from the public. For instance last night I thought the legal response from the council to be at best inadequate and at worst just plain wrong, so I have today had to email my queries to the officers but the councillors at the meeting have already agreed the advice.
I think that the whole business of expenses and allowances must be dealt with in a way that gives public confidence, last nights meeting of the audit committee was packed out with the same tory group who chose Clement as leader again and again, so even if they were being totally impartial it would not look impartial to the ordinary man on the clapham omnibus.