A TRIBUTE has been paid to a council officer who has helped local organisations with their finances over almost three decades.

Dorset Council finance brief holder Cllr Tony Ferrari thanked and praised Stuart Dawson who leaves Dorset Council as head of Revenues & Benefits at the end of the month.

His comments came at the conclusion of a debate into a report written by Mr Dawson which seeks to harmonise discretionary rate relief for charities and not for profit organisations across the council area.

“There are a lot of people in Dorset who have benefitted because of him and I’d like to thank him for that,” said Cllr Ferrari.