Reprinted from thecomet.net
A NON-SPENDING council has revealed it has incurred legal costs of more than £60,000 since taking office in June 2009, although the figure is much higher according to a former councillor.
The Comet asked Letchworth Garden City Council to provide details of legal costs it has paid out in the last two and a half years after an employment tribunal concerning changes to contracts found in the favour of former staff last month.
The council, in which 22 of the 24 councillors represent the Help Eliminate Letchworth Parish council (HELP) and wish to dissolve the authority, said legal fees amounted to almost £65,000.
Around £50,000 relates to tribunal costs, with further fees attributed to an ongoing dispute with a former solicitor over a decision to exercise a break clause in their office lease.
Letchworth GC resident Derek Hodgson, a councillor under the former administration, said from his correspondance with responsible financial officer Cllr Peter Groves and clerk Ian Mantle that the figure actually tops the £100,000 mark.
“The numbers are all from correspondence with the council, I didn’t just come up with that number. I don’t know how they’re twisting this to make £60,000.”
A NON-SPENDING council has revealed it has incurred legal costs of more than £60,000 since taking office in June 2009, although the figure is much higher according to a former councillor.
The Comet asked Letchworth Garden City Council to provide details of legal costs it has paid out in the last two and a half years after an employment tribunal concerning changes to contracts found in the favour of former staff last month.
The council, in which 22 of the 24 councillors represent the Help Eliminate Letchworth Parish council (HELP) and wish to dissolve the authority, said legal fees amounted to almost £65,000.
Around £50,000 relates to tribunal costs, with further fees attributed to an ongoing dispute with a former solicitor over a decision to exercise a break clause in their office lease.
Letchworth GC resident Derek Hodgson, a councillor under the former administration, said from his correspondance with responsible financial officer Cllr Peter Groves and clerk Ian Mantle that the figure actually tops the £100,000 mark.
“The numbers are all from correspondence with the council, I didn’t just come up with that number. I don’t know how they’re twisting this to make £60,000.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.