The Finance & General Purposes Committee which meets on a monthly basis (less August) covers financial related issues as well as those matters of a general nature that fall outside the remit of other Committees.

In addition the Committee, which is made up by all four Committee Chairs plus two additional Councillors, acts as a conduit for the furtherance of recommendations from other Committees that require Full Council consensus. This results in this Committee overseeing a broad area of subjects. This Committee meets eleven times a year and all financial matters are subject to a Resolution or passed as a Recommendation to Full Council for approval. All such financial and accounting details are a matter of public record.

Each year presents its challenges balancing income and expenditure to deliver those statutory needs, the could dos, the should dos and those that ‘are nice to have.’ Within these deliberations there are certain financial protocols that allow for only certain expenditure to come from certain sources of income. As a ‘for instance’, Capital cannot be used for day-to-day operating costs and should only be used for capitalised projects.

The ethos of the Finance and General Purposes Committee is that we as Community representatives cannot settle for standing still or reducing those services which mean so much to all and to some extent enhanced such as our green spaces which have become more important for many. Indeed we must strive to think to the future pressing forwards, to improve, consolidate and enhance the values of the Town where we can and where we have power and authority to do so. This has been the rationale and basis of any decisions taken – decisions taken on the Community’s behalf to deliver a balanced and sensible service to the Town. Decisions taken by any Council can and do have lasting impacts on Communities and frame the legacy for such Councils way into the future.