Monitoring officer contract extended

ASH-STRAPPED Cheshire East is to extend the contract of the interim monitoring officer until October - at a whopping cost to the council of £1,121 a day.

- BY BELINDA RYAN, Local Democracy Reporter

The council needs about £28 million of exceptional financial support from the government to balance its books for 2026/27.

The contract extension of interim monitoring officer Kevin O'Keefe will further add to the authority's financial woes, with a paper to today’s meeting of full council saying it would result in a forecast overspend of more than £60,000 for the seven-month period in 2026/27.

On top of that, the overspend on that one temporary appointment for this financial year is expected to be more than £58,000 by the end of March 2026.