No pressure on councillors, says CEO

The boss of Powys County Council has denied that councillors are being pressured into supporting the new budget, which is proposing a 9.5% council tax hike.

In a joint statement with Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Aled Davies, Acting Chief Executive, Dr Mohammed Mehmet, dismissed the claims after four councillors from the ruling coalition said they will not be supporting the budget at Thursday’s full council meeting.

The Conservative quartet claimed that an email sent to councillors contained an interpretation of legislation that could be regarded as coercing councillors to support the proposed increase.

But in response, the joint statement reads: “Elected members are facing a difficult challenge in setting a balanced budget for 2019/20. It is for them, not officials, to determine both the level of the council tax and what is or is not included in the council’s budget.

“As a result of a number of councillors asking questions and making comments about the budget setting process, the Solicitor to the Council circulated legal advice to all members. The advice, which was based on information in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Ombudsman for Wales Member’s Code of Conduct, stressed that the intention behind it was to clarify the process and set out elected members’ responsibilities. 

“Issuing the advice was in no way an attempt to pressurise or influence members about their budget priorities, but an action to ensure that members were aware of the process and their responsibilities for setting a balanced budget.”

Councillors will be asked to vote on the budget at Thursday’s full council meeting.