Financial Matters

Responsible Financial Officer

The Town Council is required by statute to appoint a Responsible Financial Officer.

Chris Geeson holds the joint position of Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer

The Audit Commission has appointed Mazars of Regency House, 3 Grosvenor Square, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 2BE as the Town Council's External Auditors

The Town Council is required by statute to appoint an Internal Auditor who must be an independent person.
Roy Stanley FFA, FIAB, Accountant, Suite 1, The Green, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3JX, has been appointed Internal Auditor.

Consolidated Revenue Account - this shows the net cost of council services for the financial year.
Consolidated Balance - this shows current assets, current liabilities together with specific and general reserves at the year end.
The form of accounts is determined by regulation and guidance given in Governance and Accountability for Local Councils - A Practioners Guide 2008 (England)

The Final Accounts and Annual Return must be approved on or before 30th June.
The Annual Return, which must be forwarded to the External Auditor by a stipulated date, comprises of Section 1 - Statement of Accounts, Section 2 - Annual Governance Statement, Section 3 - External Auditor's Certificate and Opinion and Section 4 - Annual Internal Audit Report
The Town Council must publish a Notice showing details of, the date, time and place appointed, by the external auditor on which any elector may raise questions about the account and also the period during which accounts, records and associated documents can be inspected.
The External Auditor's Certificate and Opinion has now been received.
On recept of the certificate and opinion the Town Council will shortly publish a formal notice to the effect that the audit has been completed.