Interim Chief Finance Officer likely to cost minimum of £104,000

According to Cllr Jackie Meade‘s quick back of the fag packet calculation, at the Personnel Committee on the 2 Feb, an interim s151 officer was £100,000.

A s151 officer is the person who is legally responsible for the Council’s money.

s151 of the Local Government Act 1972 states:

(1) – Without prejudice to section 111 above, every local authority shall make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs and shall secure that one of their officers has responsibility for the administration of those affairs.

(2) – This section applies to a corporate joint committee as it applies to a local authority

The Council will need a interim s151 officer as of March, because Charlotte Spendley the current s151 officer, resigned in Jan and will leave in March 2023

We need a new s151 in place by March, as Charlotte Spendley, who gave her resignation in Jan 2023, ceases employment at the Council in March 2023.

The interim s151 officer, so the Council predict, will be needed for “6-9 months” according to report number P/22/05

In the video below, the HR Director Andrina Smith makes it clear that according to recruitment consultants, the cost of an interim s151 officer per day is between £800 – £1,000 a day.

Any interim s151 officer chosen will be working four days a week according to the HR Director.

So taking the worst case scenario (9 months), the potential cost to the council for an interim s151 could be £156,000. The best case scenario comes in at £104,000 for six months work.

Other details regarding an interim can be found in Report Number P/22/05 

Without a s151 Officer the Council cannot function, as it is a statutory officer position, so Folkestone & Hythe District Council need one by law.

Of course, the Council will look for a permanent s151 officer, but given the shortage of Local Government qualified officers, this will take time.

Finally, Charlotte Spendley is off to work for Phoenix Community Housing and starts work there in March 2023. We wish her all the best. We thank Charlotte for her efforts at Folkestone & Hythe District Council.

The Shepway Vox Team

The Velvet Voices of Voxatiousness