Auditors have accused Dudley Council members of ‘not seriously considering’ the recommendations of officers when it came to the council’s financial position.
An interim report by Grant Thornton found that the local authority had only achieved 64% of its planned savings in 2023/24.
In also cited several cases where councillors failed to listen to officer recommendations, including the cabinet’s decision to override spending controls and redevelop a school campus.
Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said the council accepted the report’s findings and is committed to addressing the concerns raised.
However, he added: ‘We should note that this report has only assessed progress up until July this year and doesn’t take into account all the work we have been doing in the last couple of months to introduce our new target operating model.’
