The chairwoman of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival has quit after voicing concerns over the finances of the annual cultural event.
City councillor Jennifer Stewart, who has headed up the board of trustees since 2009, tendered her letter of resignation yesterday.
The Liberal Democrat ward member for Hazlehead, Ashley and Queen’s Cross said she had made the decision after “careful and considered deliberation” and with “sincere regret”.
In the letter to Aberdeen City Council’s head of legal and democratic services, Mrs Stewart claimed fellow trustees were “not taking their responsibility seriously” and she had made failed attempts to “rein in” spending.
The festival celebrated its 40th birthday in 2012 and attracts young performers from across the globe every summer. Aberdeen City Council provided £140,000 for this year’s event, while corporate sponsors including BP and Shell also contributed.
Mrs Stewart claimed finance officials at the local authority have also expressed concern that the board was “not following the public pound”.
Yesterday, Mrs Stewart said: “It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision.
“I don’t feel (the board) is operating correctly, I am not suggesting anything underhand has happened.”
Minutes from a board meeting in September last year show that the council’s corporate accounting manager, Jonathan Belford, said trustees receive a number of different finance reports which make it “exceedingly difficult” to be “accurately appraised” of the true financial position.
Mrs Stewart said she did not feel that she had the support of trustees in efforts to balance the budget.
She also raised concerns over what she termed a “political agenda” within the board.
She added: “I will not be made a scapegoat for the reckless behaviour of some trustees for the financial cavalier approach.”
Mrs Stewart said attendance among some members was lacking, while records show that she was present at every meeting bar one, for health reasons, in the past three years.
Fellow councillors Marie Boulton, the deputy leader at the authority, Conservative Ross Thomson, the SNP’s Jim Kiddie, Labour member Len Ironside and Lord Provost George Adam are also trustees.
AIYF chief executive Stewart Aitken could not be reached for comment last night.