New Monitoring Officer appointed
The Council has appointed Joanne Cassar as its new Monitoring Officer - a statutory role in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The Monitoring Officer has a specific duty to ensure that the Council, its officers and its elected members maintain the highest standard of conduct in all they do.
One of the key responsibilities of the Monitoring Officer is to report to the Council if they consider that a proposed decision, action or omission has or could result in maladministration or a contravention of the law.
The Monitoring Officer is also responsible for matters relating to the conduct of Councillors and officers. An essential skill is the ability to be fair and impartial at all times and ensure that the appropriate processes are followed. The Monitoring Officer is also responsible for maintaining, reviewing and monitoring the Council’s Constitution a key document which sets out how the Council works, how decisions are made and the procedures that are followed.
Joanne has been appointed with immediate effect. She has been with the Council for 15 years within the Internal Audit team as the Head of Internal Audit and was responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls, governance and risk management processes. She has more recently been appointed as the Executive Head of Governance and the responsibilities of the Monitoring Officer are part of the duties required in this Executive Head role.
Joanne said, ““I am delighted to be appointed as the Council’s Monitoring Officer and look forward to using my skills and experience to support the work of the Borough”.