Issue - meetings

The Chairperson read out the findings of the Committee which were duly agreed.

RESOLVED

(i)             that the Committee considered the investigation report attached at Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)            that the findings set out paragraph 3.2 of the report be agreed and therefore the Committee finds that former Councillor Rawlinson had failed to comply with the following paragraphs of the Code of Conduct:

·                paragraph 1.1 of the Code, because that he did not treat other councillors, in particular Councillor Stamp, with respect when sending offensive WhatsApp messages to the Chief Officer.

·                paragraph 1.2 of the Code, because he did not treat the Chief Officer with respect when he falsely claimed that she sent out correspondence in his name without his knowledge.

·                paragraph 2.1 of the Code, because he bullied the Chief Officer at the Town Council meeting of 25 March 2024

·                paragraph 5 of the Code, because he brought his office and the Town Council into disrepute when initiating a Police investigation into the Town Council’s finances without having the necessary authority and then misleading the Town Council with regards to its progress.

(iii)           that Cllr Rawlinson had not breached the Code of Conduct in relation to the other allegations.

It was noted that former Cllr Rawlinson had resigned as a Councillor and as such the Committee had no power to consider any sanctions against him.