Barnet Council Scandal: Barnet Council's open chequebook

Yesterday I posted a blog detailing how Barnet Council were gambling with your money on the property market.Don't Call Me Dave left this comment on the post, which shocked and amazed me
------------------------------------------------------------
Under the Local Government Act 2000, council officers are allowed to engage in property transactions up to £100,000 using delegated powers, i.e. without consulting councillors. I think the limit has now been raised to £150,000.

Previously, officers would be required to submit a report to the council with details of the transaction but officers put forward a motion earlier this year that would dispense with that formality. All in the name of greater efficiency you understand.

But then you have to consider the recent rule change whereby property transactions are no longer sealed by the Mayor (which has been the way since the year dot). Now transactions can be signed and sealed by an unelected officer.

In short, this means officers have the power to buy and sell property and not even report it to the councillors. Given this council’s track record on property sales, this is a deeply worrying move.

Under Freer, and now under Hillan, the concept of democratic accountability has simply ceased to exist.
------------------------------------------

It's quite simple. We pay taxes. This is our money. We pay a million quid for a team of nearly 70 councillors to protect our interests and oversee the workings of the council. They are meant to protect our interests. Why have they "delegated" this. Because they are too lazy to do the job properly.

Boris Johnson at the GLA has put all expenditure over one thousand pounds on line. This is how I know that in November Boris paid Inserters R Us Ltd £3053.25 and Antony Gormley £23,000.

If Boris can do this, Barnet Council can. Council Leader Lynne Hillan claims that it is vital to destroy the Sheltered housing wardens because she wants to save £400,000. She's in charge of "resource management" but cannot even be bothered to check what the officers are spending money on. Council Tax in Barnet will not drop until the people we elect start doing their job, checking things proeprly, asking difficult questions and  start earning their allowances. Barnet Council has many problems, but I believe that the route cause of them is that Barnet Councils ruling Tories are just too lazy to bother doing their job. Cutting out waste is not rocket science, it's just about saying "do we need this", "is this the cheapest way to do it", "could we buy it somewhere else for less". Council officers have no reason to do any of this, why should they? This is why scrutiny by councillors is needed. Everyone who knows anything about Barnet Council knows this.

I am standing for the Lib Dems at the next council elections because this just cannot go on. If you live in Mill Hill and you've read the 761 entries on this blog, you will know that you'll have someone who will work hard to sort this out. The taxpayers of Barnet need people to stand in every ward who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and end this slothering and troughering.