To ensure transparency on how your Community Council is spending the precept collected from your council tax we will post relevant financial documents here. We encourage you to scrutinise the documents and hold us to account on the expenditure we commit to on your behalf. Please feel free to email the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer (RFO), Councillor Stephen Ward, with any questions you may have: rfo@spoonerrow.cc
Quarterly Financial Statements
Whilst not required by law and unlike the majority of parish councils, Spooner Row Community Council compiles and then publishes Quarterly Financial Statements. These statements are presented to the Council in our July, October, January and April meetings. Once endorsed at Council the documents will be uploaded here.
Financial Year 2020/21 Q1 Statement
Financial Year 2020/21 Q2 Statement
Financial Year 2020/21 Q3 Statement
Financial Year 2020/21 Q4 Statement
Financial Year 2021/22 Q1 Statement
Financial Year 2021/22 Q2 Statement
Financial Year 2021/22 Q2 Statement
Financial Year 2021/22 Q3 Statement
Financial Year 2021/22 Q4 Statement
Financial Year 2022/23 Q1 Statement – Awaiting sign-off
Internal Auditor Report
Annually the Council will appoint an auditor to assess our accounts and check that we are following the procedures lay down in a our Financial Regulations and the processes in stipulated in our Finance, Banking & Asset Mandate . The internal auditor will produce an audit report by 30th May each year.
Budget
Each year in November the Community Council will agree the precept which will be collected residents council tax. The setting of the precept will primarily be based on an annual budget to cover the Councils operating costs and budgeting for projects.
Precept Proposal – Endorsed on 28th November 2020
Financial Year 2021/22 Budget – Endorsed 25th March 2021
Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)
In addition to conducting the internal audit, the auditor assists the RFO with the completion of the AGAR. Post completion of the report it must be endorsed in Council by no later than 30th June.
Financial Year 2020/21 Annual Governance and Accountability Return
And this is the AGAR signed by the internal auditor
Financial Year 2020/21 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (signed off)
And here is the final and accepted version, signed off by the External Auditor – PKF Littlejohn LLP.
Financial Year 2020/21 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (SIGNED OFF)
Notice of Public Rights & Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance
The commencement date for public inspection of the Council’s accounts will be set by the RFO but must be as soon as reasonably practical after the AGAR has been approved by the Council. From the commencement date and for a period of 30 working days the Councils accounts can be inspected. During this period, and only within the period, the electors can ask questions of the internal auditor or make an objection.
Any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested upon application to the RFO.
Notice of Exercise of Public Rights 2021-2022
External Audit
Each year the smaller authority’s AGAR is reviewed by an external auditor appointed by the Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd.
Freedom of Information
The Community Council has adopted the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) model publication scheme relating to Freedom of Information. This scheme assists members of the public in knowing what information we hold and how much it would cost to gain access to this information.