Council finances given clean bill of health by auditors

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's financial arrangements have been given a clean bill of health, according to a report by external auditors Mazars.

The report, for the year ending March 31 2021, will be presented to members of the Council's Cabinet when they meet on Thursday (March 17).

It considers whether the Council had made proper arrangements for "securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness" in its use of resources.

And auditors concluded there were "no significant weaknesses" in value for money arrangements across three categories - financial sustainability, governance, and improving economy, efficiency and effectiveness - confirming "there are "no recommendations arising from our work."

They also highlighted the Council's "good track record" of identifying and delivering savings, and of delivering against its budgets, with "evidence of effective arrangements for budgetary control."

And despite the pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic, they found "evidence of the effectiveness of financial management arrangements."

Councillor Bob Cook, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "The format of this year's audit report is slightly different due to national changes in the way auditors carry out their work.

"The focus of audits now is to identify any significant weaknesses in arrangements and to report those weaknesses to the Council, along with the actions that need to be taken to address those weaknesses.

"I'm delighted to say external auditors found no such weaknesses in our financial management and once again recognised the work we are putting in to deliver value for money for residents in light of the considerable financial challenges we face.

"Though the format of the report is different, the outcome is consistent with previous years as external auditors have consistently given us a clean bill of health in our management and use of resources.

"I hope the report provides reassurance to our residents that we manage public finances with great care, and this has been the case for some years."

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