County Committee's Position In Contracts

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 289, 22 August 1957, Page 1

County Committee's

Position In Contracts

MEMBERS of the Taupo County Advisory Cominittee are not goversied completely by tlie law which restricts contracts between members of other local bodies and the local bodies themselves, according to what the County Commissioner, Mr A. H. O'Keefe, told them at the last meeting. Tlie question arose witli the expressed possibility that at some time in the future there mlght- Ite urgent need for work to he done on oue of Ihe roads in tlie rural area of Pouakani riding, for which Mr E. M. II. Greensill is one of two members. He owns a hulldozer. "No Objections" Mr O'Keefe explained that other than Mr Greensill's inachine, there was not anotlier for perhaps 30-odd miles. "T liave no objections to his hulldozer being used," lie said, "siniply because be is on the commitPer. "We could hire the bulldozer at rates of payment in accordance 'with Ministry of Works scheclules; I feel that in that particular area, it would be imfortunate if we couldn't. "To take aontlier case, if we needed a truck at tlie soutliern end of Ihe county, I soe no reason wby we should not be able to hire one belonglng to Mr Grace, if he had one available." Mr J. A. Asher asked: "What is

ihe law on this point? There have been a number of prosecutions, and we don't want to leave ourselves open." Mr O'Keefe: Tlie works committee can deal with if. If they don't want to hire plant belonging to a inember of tlie advisory committee they can say so, and make their recommendations to the whole committee. Merita ef Cases "The law governing restrictions on contracts between a local body and county councillors or borough couucillors, does not apply to this advisory committee. "Voting on the letting of contracts does not apply legallj to this committee. In practiee, tlie question has never arisen ; there has never been a contract between a inember of the committee and the county." The county advisory committee deeided not make a speeial rule about it, but to deal with cases on their merits. Of eourse, he said after the meeting, the committee realised that a inember could not vote on a matter in which lie was financially interested — 011 a contract or otherwise — nor enter into any discussion upon it.