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South Northamptonshire Councillor receives prize at national award ceremony
08-Feb-2010
South Northamptonshire Councillor Martin Wilson has won an award at a national ceremony in London for his outstanding contribution to financial performance.
The prize was awarded to Cllr Wilson yesterday (5 February) for his consistent commitment to using a council’s resources to deliver value for money and better outcomes for local people. The judging panel selected the South Northamptonshire Council Member for his continued work to ensure that value for money and better services constantly remained at the heart of the Council’s spending decisions.
Despite hot competition, Cllr Wilson was victorious in his category, with judges praising his contribution to performance and acknowledging the financial challenges faced by district councils with relatively small budgets.
Amongst Cllr Wilson’s achievements, he produced a review which gave a clearer understanding of how the Council’s resources were being spent; introduced a new system to hold budget holders more accountable for their spending, and last year saved six percent of the budget.
Cllr Martin Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Ward Councillor for Salcey, said: “South Northamptonshire Council works hard to deliver value for money and provide high quality services to local people. I am delighted to receive the award and to have been highlighted as making a significant contribution to the work carried out by the Council. I am grateful for the fantastic support of both the strong financial team at SNC and my fellow councillors, and I receive this award on behalf of all our team.”
He added: “The financial challenges over the last couple of years have been formidable and I know that things are likely to be just as challenging in the years ahead. I know that we have the team in place to meet the future with confidence and to continue to provide quality services to the community.”
David Price, Director of Corporate Services at South Northamptonshire Council, said: “I am very pleased that Cllr Wilson has received this accolade, which further demonstrates how the Council is being recognised at a national level for the work that we are doing to ensure outstanding value for money for the district.”
Andy Sawford, Chief Executive of the LGiU, said: “I would like to congratulate Cllr Wilson on winning the CCLA award for outstanding contribution to financial performance. In my view being a councillor is one of the highest forms of community service. Councillors who have a role in financial management have an even more important role in ensuring that their councils are providing the best possible services for the best possible value. I hope that the award category highlights the key role that councillors must play to ensure that value for money and better services are at the heart of the council’s spending decisions.”
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