Oakham Town Council Meeting Called Off Amidst Turmoil and Financial Questions

Oakham Town Council Meeting Called Off Amidst Turmoil and Financial Questions

Oakham Town Council's highly anticipated meeting this evening has been cancelled due to a lack of quorum, plunging the local governing body into further disarray and raising serious questions about its operational integrity and financial oversight.

Councillor Martin Brookes expressed profound frustration, stating, "This is very annoying. I feel the council is now completely broken." His comments come as the council grapples with the absence of key figures: Chairman Councillor Chris Nix is currently in Italy, and Deputy Chairman Councillor Anna Douthwaite is unable to attend due to personal reasons.

The cancellation is not the only concern facing the council. Councillor Douthwaite, who also serves as the council's temporary appointed financial officer, reportedly failed to attend the internal audit scheduled for today. This absence has amplified existing anxieties regarding the council's financial procedures.

Councillor Brookes has vocally challenged the timing and legitimacy of the internal audit, revealing a startling lack of protocol. "The council had not even appointed an internal auditor," he pointed out, despite an audit meeting being booked. Furthermore, Chairman Chris Nix had reportedly presented a paper this evening for the council to appoint an internal auditor and proposing the deferral of the internal audit – a clear contradiction to the booking.

A significant point of contention revolves around the potential personal liability of any councillor who may have unilaterally appointed and booked this audit without the full council's approval. Such an action would leave them personally responsible for the entire cost of the internal audit.

When Cllr Brookes questioned the Deputy Clerk about the unusual presentation of this agenda item, the response was that the council was being asked to consider it retrospectively. This explanation has been deemed "unacceptable" by Cllr Brookes, who emphasised that the first notification any council member received about an internal audit being conducted by a non-appointed auditor was via email just this morning.

Adding to the council's woes, the hope of co-opting John Kennedy onto the council at this evening's meeting has also been dashed. Mr Kennedy has now decided he no longer wishes to be a member of Oakham Town Council, further depleting the council's capacity.

Councillor Brookes concluded with a scathing indictment of the current situation: "I find it unacceptable that the Oakham Tax Payers are paying for this failing local government." The ongoing turmoil at Oakham Town Council raises urgent questions about its governance, transparency, and accountability to the local community it serves. Residents will undoubtedly be seeking immediate answers and a clear path forward from their local representatives.