A NEW West Devon Borough Council committee, which could cost around £5,000 extra a year to administer, is unnecessary and bureaucratic, a councillor this week claimed. Local Government watchdog the Audit Commission has recommended that all local authorities set up audit committees to ensurecouncil business is properly conducted and well managed. In its latest inspection of the borough council, the Audit Commission rated West Devon as the best district authority in the South West region in an assessment of how well it uses its resources, manages its finances and gives value for money. However, if the borough doesn?t follow the requirement to set up an audit committee, it could be criticised over its governance arrangements. At a recent meeting, members said they had reservations about establishing the new committee in order to prove to the Audit Commission the council was using its resources prudently and effectively. Cllr John Soul, overview and scrutiny committee chairman, said: ?Under the Council?s current structure we have already streamlined our committees to the barest minimum over the last few years because this is what we were asked to do by the Government. We did this to demonstrate we were using our resources effectively. ?The council?s overview and scrutiny committee has been carrying out the audit function for three years to the satisfaction of our external auditors, and presumably of the Audit Commission, and we have proved to everyone we are managing our resources prudently. ?Now, in a bizarre twist, having demonstrated our financial prudence, we have to spend, totally unnecessarily, around £5,000 of council tax payers? money setting up a committee we don?t need. ?We are doing all this in order to get a tick in a box at inspection, to apparently satisfy the Audit Commission we are managing our finances prudently. It?s bureaucratic lunacy.? He admitted the only way ahead was to set up the committee. ?If we do not comply the consequences for the council in the increased level of inspections will be more expensive than complying. We have our head in a noose.?
