QUESTIONS have been raised as to how close to £100,000 in “management fees” are being spent by salaried council officers.
The news was revealed during a High Wycombe Town Committee, in which members were scrutinising a Special Expenses budget for the next financial year.
Cllr Khalil Ahmed questioned how nearly £95,000 earmarked in various areas as “BC (Buckinghamshire Council) Management Fee” was being spent.
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The charges appear in several sections throughout the itemised budget in different quantities.
Under Recreation Grounds (Local) there is a fee for £11,995. Under Allotments – £6,946.
PICTURED: Cllr Khalil Ahmed
In the section titled High Wycombe Cemetery there is a fee for £70,502.
And under Financial Assistance to Voluntary Groups there is another charge of £5,447.
That comes to a total of £94,890 in management fees.
“Officers that may be due those management fees are employed by Buckinghamshire Council and are paid by the local authority, so this management fee would potentially duplicate funds,” claimed Cllr Ahmed.
He added Wycombe had been “denied our right to a town council on the basis of its cost but this committee is being asked to support fees amounting to nearly £100,000”.
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Members failed to agree the Special Expenses budget and Cllr Ahmed proposed a deferral.
He asked for all management fees to be taken out of the budget and for a revised proposal to be considered at another meeting. He was backed by Cllr Marten Clarke.
“Without any explanation about how those fees are going to be spent, I can’t rubberstamp this budget because the money could be used to help struggling residents in our town,” said Cllr Ahmed.
“If this money is going to pay for admin, setting up a town council for High Wycombe would be completely justified.”
Head of finance for communities, Ramesh Prashar, said in the meeting: “If you don’t want any management and support…then we don’t as a council provide [that].
“Basically, we won’t organise the meetings for you or anything like that.”
“The fund would have to come from somewhere else,” added senior democratic services officer, Jemma Durkin.
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