Your rights in relation to the Statement of Accounts
If you are a local elector (that is you are entitled to vote in elections for members of Cambridge City Council) you have certain legal rights, which allow you to:
- Inspect the Council's Accounts
- Ask the External Auditor Questions about the Accounts
- Challenge the Accounts
This article briefly explains these rights.
Your Right to Inspect the Council's Accounts
When the Council has finalised the accounts for the previous financial year, usually towards the end of June, we advertise that they are available for electors to look at. This advertisement, 'The Notice of Public Rights',is placed in the 'Cambridge Evening News' and on this website.
The notice gives details of a period of 20 working days during which you may to look at the accounts and supporting documentation. A draft copy of the accounts is available on this website or you can ask us for a copy. You can also get copies of any relevant documents, although there may be a copying charge.
Ask the External Auditor Questions about the Accounts
You can ask the Council's External Auditor questions about the accounts for the year that they are auditing. However, the Auditor does not have to answer questions about anything that is not relevant to the accounts.
The Notice of public rights will explain how you can do this.
Challenge the Accounts
If you think that Cambridge City Council has spent money unlawfully you can object to the Accounts by sending the Auditor a formal written 'notice of objection.'
You may also object if you think that there is something in the Accounts which the Auditor should formally tell the public in a 'public interest' report.
The Notice of Public Rights gives details of who you should send your objection to.
Further Information
These notes provide brief details in relation to your rights to inspect, question and object to the Council's accounts.
If you need more detail you should refer to the Audit Commission publication 'Councils' Accounts Your Rights'. As well as describing your rights in relation to the Statement of Accounts it also explains the rights you have at other times to give the Auditor information. A link to the Audit Commission website section which includes this publication, and a form to use if you wish to make an objection, is provided in Related Items on the right hand side of this page.