ANDOVER Town Council will promote its deputy clerk and will outsource financial officer responsibilties to resolve its staffing crisis. 

Concerns around staffing came to the forefront following the resignation of the town clerk, who is due to leave her job this month. 

An extraordinary meeting of the town council considered two options to solve the absence of a proper officer, who is appointed to manage the service. 

The first was to take the service of LGRC (Local Government Resource Centre), a privately run resources centre for local government services.

LGRC offered to cover the proper officer’s absence with reduced duties for £445 per day, £2,225 per week and £9,641.67 per month.

Discussions also took place around the lack of an employee looking after the council's finances. 

The town council legally must have a responsible financial officer in order to function under Local Government Act 1972.

The council decided to take a second option of asking the current deputy clerk to temporarily step up to cover the town clerk and proper officer’s role.

The total additional cost for this option would be around £8,000 until the end of December.

The council will review this decision in a full council meeting in January 2023.

Meanwhile, SLCC (Society of Local Council Clerks) has also informed the council that it is willing to help with the recruitment of the temporary financial officer at a cost of £2,190.

The town council has decided in a previous meeting to spend £2,000 from human resources budget for the recruitment of an officer.

Speaking in the debate, Cllr Robin Hughes said: “We have an opportunity right now with something that is actually on the agenda. It was agreed last time that we would spend £2,000. I would say we accept the offer and transfer £190 from operational budget to facilitate what we need to do. And then the mayor can actually try to recruit somebody which we have not yet done in any way or form.”