Question

May a Clerk put a motion forward or alter a motion during a meeting?

Answer 1

The Clerks position is to do several things including:

Issue notices and agendas

Prepare reports and present information to be debated.

Present details of accounts for ratification

To ensure that all meetings are minuted and accurately reporte.

It is the function of Councillors to formulate Proposals, debate them and vote accrodingly. Not the Clerk.

Comments

Good answer, however, the clerk, as the proper officer, should remind the chair if the proposal conflicts with standing orders etc etc and ask councillors to rethink any wording. The clerk is also there to ensure resolutions are legal, as well as protect the council from itself.

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Quite right. It is a problem we have often. They are there to advise.

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The minutes of our Town Council often say  "The Executive Officer (Her trumped up name for Clerk) advised members that it would be   ... beneficial to     ...advisable to  ... good practice  to   ... etc, and then there follows a re resolution based on that advice or suggestion.  Seems to  me she is effectively putting forward a motion

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The Chair is in charge of the meeting: he/she should ensure that the Proposer/Seconder and the original resolution are not compromised by such comments. Being Chair is indeed a highly responsible position. As far as Minutes are concerned: this has been covered on other Forum Topics. The Resolution has to be Proposed and Seconded (but names are not required): the number of votes cast does not have to be reported, only if it was carried or not. (Only Recorded votes if that is asked for). The content you describe above should not be in the Minutes.