Official's councillors complaint

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/north_west/7865642.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A finance chief at a council facing an inspection over its management made an official complaint over the authority's councillors, it has emerged.

Anglesey council's finance director David Elis-Williams claimed he and his department were being undermined by the council's ruling executive.

He made the complaint in a letter in September last year.

The council said no further internal action was taken as a result of the finance director's letter.

It comes after Wales' auditor general Jeremy Colman said he would look into the way in which the council is run and the conflict between some senior councillors and the authority's top management.

It follows a Wales Audit Office (WAO) report which found "difficulties" in the working relationship of some council executive members and senior officers.

'Register disquiet'

The BBC has since seen a letter that Mr Elis-Williams wrote to the leader, Phil Fowlie, following a decision by the council's executive on European funding.

He complained that the decision "undermines me and my department as if you were denying us the tools to do the job".

He copied the letter to the council's managing director, the external auditor, the monitoring officer and the head of economic development.

His letter was intended to "register my disquiet" about decisions taken by the executive earlier in the month.

He pointed out that he had a legal duty on all aspects of the council's work which involved finance and that "in order to discharge these duties and responsibilities I need to know and be involved in what is going on which affects finance".

Anglesey council leader Phil Fowlie replied to the director's concerns by letter on 7 October.

It said: "I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 26 September, the contents of which I have noted."

Mr Colman is expected to deliver his inspection findings on the council in June.

Anglesey council's managing director, Derrick Jones, said he would welcome such an inquiry and said he was committed to working to tackle the concerns raised in the report.