Council leader pledges to ‘constantly review’ £157k a year officer appointment

Hambleton District Council leader Mark Robson.

The leader of Hambleton District Council has defended a decision to employ an officer for three days a week at a cost of £157,000 a year.

The statement comes after it emerged another council had offered one of their staff for the chief financial officer role, which it has been claimed would have cost taxpayers substantially less.

Councillor Mark Robson told a full meeting of the council that after receiving an email from the leader of North Yorkshire County Council offering services, the district authority looked at various options and decided employing an officer through an agency was the best way forward.

He told the meeting there had been uncertainty at the council about “whether anybody would actually apply for a job should it be advertised”.

The role, which the council is legally required to fill to oversee the proper administration of its affairs, became vacant due to the impending end of the district council in local government reorganisation.

The leader of the Conservative-led authority was speaking after Liberal Democrat member for Stokesley Councillor Bryn Griffiths asked for an explanation as to what efforts the council had made in looking at lower cost alternatives before appointing a chief financial officer from an agency.

Councillor Griffiths highlighted how both Selby and Ryedale District councils had taken officers from the county council to cover roles and told the meeting he had learnt Hambleton would have saved taxpayers about £500 a day if it had done the same.

Councillor Robson suggested Councillor Griffiths had made up the £500 a day figure, but pledged to “constantly review” the appointment.

He said: “We intend to work fully with the districts and the county to move forward for the best solution or outcome with local government reorganisation. That leaves the window open for further conversations to be had with the county and should it prove necessary that we need to do that and take on the expertise from the county then I’d be happy to do that.”

Councillor Robson then questioned whether the county council would have an officer with experience of responsibility for business rates, council tax, revenues and benefits. He said: “It’s a bigger role than you would expect and this isn’t a new thing using agencies. It happens up and down and all around North Yorkshire. I’m more than comfortable that this person who will be employed, it needs to be a named officer, on up to a three-day basis, or up to a year, should be required and we’ll review it constantly.”

Thirsk councillor Gareth Dadd then suggested another district council might also have had a spare finance officer. He said: “There is some confusion and some angst out there that no other options have been looked at.”

He called for the council to give reassurances that it would commit to looking at “a more cost-effective option as and when that should arise”.

After Councillor Robson said he would be more than happy to do so, Councillor Griffiths said the authority’s leader had “listened to reason”.

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