Midsomer Norton Town Council were challenged again on Monday (March 20) over their failure to produce an available budget for the next financial year.

Responding to this criticism, the Locum Clerk, Paul Russell explained that proper legal process had been followed and that a Budget would be presented at the Town Councils next scheduled meeting on April 3. However, as the Town Council "has gone from two full time and two part time officers, to three part timers. Miracles, we can do once but the impossible we can't."

B&NES Councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North), raised a public question at the start of the Extra Ordinary Town Council Meeting, to ask, again, where was the Town Council budget now that the council tax precept has been set.

Responding to Cllr Hughes, Mr Russell, explained that: "a precept has to be requested within a certain timeframe, that which you will know because you're a Councillor as well. So we had to submit a precept request at my first meeting in the beginning of February and that was changed on the night. So we just submitted that. And we've agreed the precept leaflet, which was in the last agenda and the new revised budget to fit in with the precept leaflet will be presented at the April meeting."

The interim clerk defended the Town Council against the accusation that the correct financial processes have not been followed, explaining that "there is no legal requirement to have a budget, there is a legal requirement to submit a precept if you require it. It is good practice to have a budget, and the Council had a budget. But they decided to reduce that budget".

However, Mr Russel went to explain that the Town Council hasn't got the staffing structure at the moment because it lost two of its officers, which he hoped the next Town Council will address.

The budget - or lack of a published budget - has been dogging the council for weeks .

Meantime Monday's Extraordinary Meeting was the first that the Mayor, Lynda Robertson, has missed in 12 years of sitting in the council chamber; she sent apologies for illness.