Can a councillor ask to be named in the minutes?

Question

Hi. We recently had a vote at our parish council, in my view, it was tasty Lee push through, and I was not given an opportunity to vote.

Hi. We recently had a vote at our parish council, in my view, it was hasty Lee pushed through, and I was not given an opportunity to vote. It involves spending nearly £500 on an item of utter frippery in my opinion, especially when All around us people are crying out for money to be spent on useful things like warm-ups et cetera et cetera. “The vote was carried out I felt was wrong, but perhaps wrongly, I didn’t speak up at the time. After the meeting, I contacted the Clarke and asked that I’ve been named in the minutes as “not voting“. Now the minutes have been published (the draft minutes that is,), I see that I have anonymously been credited with “abstaining”.

I did not abstain, I wasn’t given the opportunity to abstain, which is why I suggested to the clerk I’d be named and recorded as “not voting”.

I’m quite upset about this, as I wanted any parishioner reading the minutes to see that I did not vote for this silly idea (on tidying up a grass verge for goodness sake!).

spending £450 on tidying up a grass verge for goodness sake!).

I would very much speciate peoples opinion, but also the actual legal standing of my request to be named in the minutes.

I fully intend to bring up a next meeting, which is in a few days time, and I would like to know where I stand. I’m utterly unhappy with being recorded anonymously as abstaining, because any other councillors can hide behind this, as all the other councillors voted in favour…

Answer 1

Why did you not get a chance to vote, surely the Chair went round the room and asked for a show of hands to show approval and then if everyone didn’t put their hands up, again for refusal.  Isn’t not voting the same as abstaining.  The only way Councillors can be show how they vote is by recorded vote and that needs to be requested at the time.  Perhaps next time speak up and interrupt if necessary.

Answer 2

Your answer lies in reading your councils standing orders.
Just trying to work out what your actually question is is dizzying.

Answer 3

When the minutes are presented for approval at the next meeting, then is your chance to object and request they are amended before approval.