Councillors express surprise as a critical report, highlighting resource issues, is pulled from the agenda at the last minute.
The report covered the council’s audit service. It showed resource shortages and missed targets. Councillors received it before the meeting, but plans changed suddenly.
Dudley’s finance chief, Brendan Arnold, stopped the discussion because he did not like the report’s wording or content. This announcement surprised the committee.
One councillor, Shaukat Ali, voiced concerns. Another councillor, Jackie Cowell, agreed about the odd situation, finding it less than ideal.
Interim chief executive Balvinder Heran addressed the issue. She promised a revised report with solutions that should be more thorough.
Independent expert Tony Beirne seemed confused. He found pulling the audit head’s report unsatisfactory. Committee chairman Karl Denning spoke after, admitting the report was unsettling.