MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

COUNCIL

24^th JUNE 2009

Report Prepared by: Paul Riley, Head of Finance

1.           DELEGATION OF OFFICER FUNCTION

1.1        Issue for Decision

1.1.1   Delegation of responsibility under the Accounts and Audit Regulations to sign the Annual Governance Statement for 2008/09.

1.2        Recommendation of Head of Finance

1.2.1   That Council delegates the authority of the Chief Executive to sign the Annual Governance Statement to the Director of Change and Environmental Services.

1.3        Reasons for Recommendation

1.3.1   The Accounts and Audit Regulations require the Council to produce an Annual Governance Statement. Circular 03/2006 from the Department of Communities and Local Government recognise the production and publication of the Annual Governance Statement as proper practice, recognising the CIPFA/SOLACE publication “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government” as an appropriate guide to comply with statute. The guide states that the Annual Governance Statement should be signed, prior to publication, by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive and published as part of the Statement of Accounts.

1.3.2   The Accounts and Audit regulations require the Council to approve the Statement of Accounts 2008/09 before the end of June 2009. This approval cannot be sought unless the Annual Governance Statement is signed.

1.3.3   In the Chief Executive’s absence, the Constitution delegates authority to other officers to perform certain functions through the proper officer provisions. The proper officer provisions make no reference to the Accounts and Audit Regulations and it is therefore necessary to request Council to make the delegation.

1.3.4   It is proposed to delegate the authority to the Director of Change and Environmental Services rather than the Director of Resources and Partnerships who, as the Responsible Finance Officer has already certified the Statement of Accounts.

Background Documents:

          None.