Agenda item

Carried forward from December and February Council meetings

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Officer - Governance which presented the annual effectiveness report for Council to enable Members to provide comment on the data contained within.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           provide comments and observations on the data contained within the Council effectiveness report as appended to the report; and

(b)           note that the annual effectiveness reports of the committees had been reported to the various committees from 5 November to 13 December 2024 inclusive.

Councillor Greig moved, seconded by Councillor Allard:-

That the Council approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Grant:-

That the Council -

1.    Note the contents of the report;

2.    Disagree with the Lord Provost’s comments in the introduction in respect of RAAC and Scheme of Governance;

3.    Note under Reports and Decisions there is no mention of the number of times Members queried Officers’ responsibilities under the Member-Officer Relations Protocol;

4.    Note there is also no mention of the number of times officers refused to provide members with written copies of legal advice despite having legislative powers to do so;

5.    Agree there is no mention under Code of Conduct Declarations and Transparency Statements of Councillor Malik’s successful appeal to the Sheriff Principal Grampian Highland and Islands over his unjust suspension by the Standards Commission;

6.    Agree under Civic Engagement there is no mention of the times where the SNP/Liberal Democrat Administration voted against allowing deputation voices to be heard especially around library closures and the Bucksburn swimming pool closure: and

7.    Note Council Terms of Reference especially point 12 “The approval of an Administration’s political priorities.” Which underlines Aberdeen Labour’s position regarding Officers referring to the Administration as a Partnership when it is an Administration in terms of the Council’s own terms of reference.

Councillor Kusznir moved as a second amendment, seconded by Councillor Massey:-

          That the Council -

1.    Notes the recommendations of the report.

2.    Note under Reports and Decisions there are omissions:

a.    Items/decisions that led to Judicial Review(s)

b.    last-minute decision by the First Minister to freeze council tax (a juxtaposition of item 1 of the ToR (page 72 of the pack), also recognising the fantastic support from the Chief Officer - Finance in helping members with this sudden change.

c.     Note also that input by the Aberdeen citizens in the public consultation process were overtaken by this last minute decision recorded in (b).  

3.    Note the increasing number of council meetings (Section 5, P61/62)

4.    Note members’ attendance at a council meeting that are split across two days are classed as two separate council meetings when in fact they are an extension of an existing council meeting.

5.    Agree that recording would be more accurately portrayed as 0.5per day for meetings extended into 2 days, thus penalising a member just 0.5 if they are not free for the unplanned second day.

6.    Agree to modify ‘Civic Engagement’ to include the number of times the SNP/Lib Dem coalition voted against the public and stakeholders being heard through Deputations.

7.    Instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to review and annotate the Member Attendance accordingly (in line with 4 and 5 above).

There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Malik and the amendment by Councillor Kusznir.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Malik  (12)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Crockett, Graham, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Thomson, Tissera and

Watson.

For the amendment by Councillor Kusznir  (6)  -  Councillors Boulton, Farquhar, Kusznir, Massey, Nicoll and Mrs Stewart.

Declined to vote  (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Bouse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Malik.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (23)  -   Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Bouse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment by Councillor Malik  (18)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Boulton, Crockett, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Kusznir, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Massey, Nicoll, Mrs Stewart, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.