Predetermination - what should happen if a Clerk asks a Councillor how they'll vote prior to a meeting?

Question

The Clerk called one of the Councillors prior to Council meeting to ask how they would be voting.  Is this acceptable?  Is this illegal?  What should happen next?

Answer 1

Depends of course on why the clerk asked and the topic the vote is on . Did the councillor ask why are you asking? If the reason given by the clerk is in-sufficiently meritorious and backed by confidentiality then it can be treated in the same manner as an enquiry from a member of the public and dealt with in a professional and courteous "that is between me and my god"

A clerk must know their boundaries.

Answer 2

Probably not illegal but certainly not acceptable. Which other councillors might the Clerk have asked, and who might get to know covertly outside the Council? Any prior knowledge of voting intentions could potentially be used to affect the outcome & influence decisions.  The Clerk must not be seen to be doing that, and the staffing committee should investigate and put a stop to it in the future.

Answer 3

This may have been done with the very best of intentions, but its 'not on'.  It also does not account for the fact that a councillor may amend their view on a matter having debated the issue with his/her colleagues at a meeting.