Agenda

Arising on Minute 64 to advise the Council that the following members have been appointed to the Chief Executive Appointment Committee

Councillors: Mrs Ballin, Beadsley, Bettison (Chairman), Edger (Vice-Chairman), McCormack, Mills, Turrell and Ward

Substitutes: Councillors Birch and Wade (2 vacancies)

To receive any declarations of interest in any matters on the agenda for the meeting.

A request for leave of absence from Council duties until the end of April 2003 has been received from Councillor Egan.  Members will know that Councillor Egan has suffered from ill health for some months now and, at the time of his letter (early February) he was about to undertake a course of hospital treatment.

In these circumstances the Council is able under Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 to approve the reasons for Councillor Egan's absence from meetings in accordance with the request received.

The Council is required by Section 35 (1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 to appoint an officer of the Council to be the Returning Officer for elections of councillors of the Borough and of parishes within the Borough.

Currently, the Chief Executive is the appointed Returning Officer.  However, with his imminent departure, it is now necessary for the Council to appoint another officer to fulfil the role of Returning Officer until such time as a new Chief Executive and Returning Officer is appointed. The first duty of the newly appointed Returning Officer will be to publish Notice of the forthcoming Local Elections by 24 march 2003.

In these circumstances, the Council is RECOMMENDED as follows:

That Timothy Wheadon, the current Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Corporate Services, be appointed Returning Officer with effect from 10 March 2003 until further notice.

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting on 5 February 2003.

1)         Financial Plans and Revenue Budgets 2003/04

(a)        To receive the enclosed report of the Director of Corporate Services

(b)        To consider the recommendations submitted by the Executive as set out in paragraph 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 of the foregoing report and the Council Tax Resolution set out in paragraph 3.