NORTH
YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
AUDIT COMMITTEE
23 JUNE 2025
APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT CO-OPTED MEMBER
Report of the Chair of the Audit Committee
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1.0 |
Purpose of the report |
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1.1
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To consider the appointment of an independent co-opted member to the Audit Committee. |
2.0 Background
2.1 The Constitution allows for the appointment of up to three independent co-opted members to the Audit Committee. The positions are non-voting, and the members must not be affiliated to any political party. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) recommends the appointment of at least two independent members to provide audit committees with appropriate technical expertise and knowledge[1].
2.2 The usual term of appointment for the co-opted member is four years from 31 July in the year that the Council has elections.
2.3 A recruitment exercise was conducted in August 2023 to select suitable candidates for the period up to 31 July 2027. During this exercise, only two applications were received. Mr David Marsh and Mr David Portlock were re-appointed to the independent co-opted member positions at the Full Council meeting on 15 November 2023.
3.0 Appointment
3.1 On 28 March 2025, Democratic Services were contacted by an individual who expressed an interest in serving as an independent co-opted member of the Audit Committee. The vacancy has been publicly visible on the Council’s website since it became open in 2022.
3.2 As only two applications were received during the recruitment exercise conducted in August 2023, it was proposed that, subject to suitability, the individual be appointed to serve until the conclusion of the current term on 31 July 2027 without the Council initiating a new recruitment process. While a new recruitment exercise could be undertaken, it is considered unlikely to yield additional applications and would result in a delay to the appointment.
3.3 The individual has submitted an application form and is scheduled to attend a suitability interview on 18 June 2025 with the Chair of the Audit Committee, Mr David Portlock, Independent Co-opted Member, and Karen Iveson, Assistant Director – Resources. The outcome of this process will be reported verbally by the interview panel at the Audit Committee meeting on 23 June 2025.
3.4 Subject to suitability, the Audit Committee would recommend to Full Council that, at its meeting on 16 July 2025, the individual is appointed as an independent co-opted member of the Audit Committee.
4.0 Term of appointment
4.1 If appointed, it is proposed that the individual’s term be aligned with the existing terms of other independent co-opted members and the Council’s electoral cycle. Accordingly, subject to agreement by Members, the term of appointment would run from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027, following the Council elections in May 2027.
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5.0 Recommendation
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a) That Members of the Audit Committee consider whether to recommend to Full Council the appointment of the individual as an independent co-opted member of the Audit Committee for the period from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027. |
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Councillor Cliff Lunn Chair of the Audit Committee
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County Hall
NORTHALLERTON
30 May 2025
Background Documents:
None.