BROMSGROVE District Council has been issued with a section 24 notice after failing to deliver its 2020/21 statement of accounts on time.
This notice is served by auditors when they feel there are issues which are in the public’s interest to highlight.
Recommendations set out by the auditors in their written report are set to be discussed at Bromsgrove District Council’s Audit and Governance Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 9, and then at full council on December 7.
The council said the reasons for the delay included the ramifications of Covid and a higher than usual turnover of staff which occurred during the implementation of a new finance IT system which the authority was the first in the country to use to log income.
The council’s portfolio holder for finance Coun Geoff Denaro said: “Like all local authorities each year we face reductions in our grants from central government and increased demands for our services, especially in the Covid period.
“This coupled with the raft of challenges we faced last year meant there was no way we could meet the financial deadlines.
“However, I want to reassure residents we are back on track and stronger than ever to weather future financial storms.”
Bromsgrove District Council leader, Coun Karen May, said: “Of course we are disappointed in the auditor’s decision especially because of all the hard work we have put in over the last year when we first started working with them.
“But we understand and have been honest and up front with not only the auditors but council colleagues and residents as we discussed our position.
“I am now more confident than ever that this authority, as always, use our taxpayers’ monies to benefit everyone as we build an even better Bromsgrove.”
Labour’s Coun Peter McDonald said: “With the cost-of-living crisis hitting residents hard, it’s absolutely disgraceful taxpayers’ money should be used for the benefit of staff agencies and not the residents of Bromsgrove.
“The auditors have clearly demonstrated the financial incompetence of the council and the leader should resign and hand over the reigns of the council to someone who would ensure taxpayers money is spent on much needed services.”
