AUTHORITY TO PAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 68, 27 April 1945, Page 4

AUTHORITY TO PAY

QUESTION OF COUNTY ACCOUNTS OPEN OR EXECUTIVE MEETINGS A point in the discussion on" Hospital Board rating at the meeting of the Whakatane County Council last Tuesday was raised by Cr McCready relative to the paying of accounts passed ,by the Finance Committee before they had been placed j before the meeting of the full Counjcil. The matter cropped up when Cr McCready gave notice of motion to rescind the authority to pay over the first instalment of the Hospital levy (£3274 3s lid). The clerk (Mr C. G. Lucas.) immediately rose and so t ught a ruling from the meeting on the question of paying accounts immediately they had been passed by the Finance. Committee. For several years he said in ' 9 accordance with an existing motion on the books he had paid all accounts a& soon as they had been passed by the Finance Committee and if there was to be a variation he would like a direction.

"I don't give a razoo," said Cr McCready. "Those accounts have not been passed by tlie Council. I've got constitutional rights as a member of the Council and I demand to have them recognised. The clerk again repeated his restating that it had been clearly defined in the past that the accounts go out the following day. He required a formal resolution if this was- to be discontinued. Cr McCready thereupon moved a notice of motion that in future, all accounts be considered by the Council as a whole before payment was authorised to be made.