Concern over proposal to limit councillors' access to staff
Councillors have voiced their concerns over changes to Powys County Council’s constitution that could see them have less access to staff.
At a meeting of the council’s democratic services committee on Monday, January 8, Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer Clive Pinney outlined amendments that need to be made to the council’s constitution.
Mr Pinney said: “We try and review the constitution on a regular basis but unfortunately things do slip through.”
The amendment under consideration was to replace a section which appears in the councillors' Code of Conduct which said: “Members are free to approach employees of the council to provide them with such information and advice as they may reasonably need in order to assist them in discharging their role as a member of the council.”
The proposed change said: “Members should approach the head of service of the council to provide them with such information and advice as they may reasonably need in order to assist them in discharging their role as a member of the council.”
Mr Pinney explained that the council’s senior and corporate management teams “feel” that to ensure a timely response to councillors that it should go through heads of service.
