Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and reminded Members that the remit of the Director of Corporate Resources & Projects included the role of Section 151 Officer. She explained that the Council report in June 2015 explained the business rationale and the need to free up capacity of the post holder, it was proposed that the then Deputy s151 Officer, Paul Jones, be seconded into the role for a period of 18 months, and for him to also continue to fulfil the role of s151 Officer for Forest of Dean District Council. The interim period had now nearly concluded. The Officer had fulfilled his s151 responsibilities thus far with considerable competence including the additional duties of line management of the Revenues & Benefits section following the return of the service from the control of the Joint Committee to the Council.   

The Cabinet Member Finance explained that the permanent designated s151 Officer, Mark Sheldon had confirmed in writing to the HR Manager that he wished to permanently relinquish the s151 duties. This presented the Council with an opportunity to make the interim s151 arrangements, including the line management of Revenues & Benefits, permanent.

The interim s151 Officer was currently employed by Cotswold District Council but seconded to this Council and to the Forest of Dean District Council as their permanent designated s151 Officer. Following discussions with the current interim post holder, the Forest of Dean District Council and the 2020 Partnership MD the recommended option was a direct employment contract with Cheltenham BC. Cheltenham would then enter into a secondment agreement with the post holder and the Forest of Dean Council. All parties were fully agreeable to this.

The proposed new Chief Finance Officer (CFO) role was described at appendix 2.

The salary for the CFO role had been established at Grade 3, (1.9) the Forest of Dean will be paying a contribution of £35k, the salary proposal was within the current budget provisions, this just represented a different employment arrangement.

The Cabinet Member Finance reported that the Appointments and Remuneration Committee had agreed and approved this as laid out in the report.  She sought Council  approval for the permanent appointment of the Chief Finance Officer to include the Section 151 role with effect from 28 March.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT

Paul Jones is designated permanently to the role of Chief Finance Officer (to include the role of Section 151 Officer) with effect from 28^th March 2017.