The Parish Council is a ‘precepting authority’. This means that we are able to ask the principal Council Tax authority (in our case Maidstone Borough Council) to add a sum to the Council Tax bill sent to each household which they collect on our behalf and send to us in April each year. The amount of our precept is set following a budget review which usually begins in November each year. Our financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March.
Our Clerk prepares a Financial Statement for each Parish Council meeting so that Councillors may regularly review the financial position. All payments made are noted in our Minutes.
Each year the Parish Council is subject to audit. Teston Parish Council carries out an annual review of its financial procedures and practices, arranges for an internal audit’ by a competent person who is not connected with the Council, and completes an Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) summarising its financial activities which is checked by an external body appointed on behalf of the Government. This external audit is currently undertaken by PKF Littlejohn LLP.
The AGAR and other relevant papers relating to audit can be viewed by year using the links below.
As part of the audit process, electors have a right to inspect and ask questions about the Parish Council’s accounts. This period of inspection runs for a 30 day period each year. A notice advertising these rights is displayed on the notice board outside the Village Hall and on our website for the period which must include the first 10 working days of July.