Issue - meetings

To present the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on members’ allowances and recommend adoption of a scheme of allowances.

Attached as a late item is an extract from the minutes of the Scrutiny Commission where this item was discussed and a proposal from Councillor M Hall which will be moved at the meeting.

The recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on members’ allowances was presented to Council.

Councillor Hall proposed an alternative scheme as set out in the supplementary agenda which supported adoption of some of the panel’s recommendations but amended others. The key changes were highlighted as:

·         The scheme would cover 2018/19 and 2019/20 but not 2020/21

·         The Leader’s allowance would be increased above that recommended by the panel, but the Leader would not be entitled to a second SRA (the same would apply to the Deputy Leader in relation to a second SRA)

·         The allowance for the chairman of the Appeals Panel and Ethical Governance & Personnel Committee would not be increased to reflect the lack of frequency of the meetings

·         The allowance for the chairman of the Licensing and Licensing (Regulatory) Committee would be decreased to reflect the lack of frequency of the meetings

·         The allowance for the chairman of the Planning Committee would be increased above that recommended by the panel to reflect the frequency of the meetings, the number of associated meetings and the amount of preparatory work required

·         The entitlement to 1.5 SRAs for any member (with the exception of the Leader and Deputy Leader) instead of the one SRA recommended by the panel

·         The reduction of 0.5 of an Executive member’s SRA for a Leader / Deputy Leader not taking on a portfolio

·         A recommendation to the Member Development Group to consider recommending to the panel the adoption of attendance allowances for some meetings that meet regularly such as licensing hearings and planning committee site visits and to consider incentives for paperless working

·         The panel be requested to meeting in July 2018 to consider any recommendations of the member development group for implementation in 2019 and four-yearly thereafter with any changes to the scheme of allowances arising from the panel being considered for implementation for the new Council (to remove the discomfort felt by members in considering their own allowances)

·         Annual increases in line with officer pay awards in between recommendations from the panel.

Some members felt that any review of allowances should be deferred until a settlement for staff pay had been agreed and that the percentage increase that was recommended was unfair compared to that offered to staff. However other members noted the difficulty in attracting councillors, the amount of time spent on council work which was barely financially recognised at present and the lack of increases between 2005 and 2015.

Councillor Sutton seconded the motion proposed.

Councillor Cartwright and four other councillors requested that voting on this motion be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Bessant, Boothby, Camamile, Cook, Hall, Kirby, Ladkin, Morrell, Nickerson, Roberts, Surtees, Sutton, Wallace and Ward voted FOR the motion (15);

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, Crooks, Hodgkins, Hollick, Lay, Nichols, Taylor and Williams voted AGAINST the motion (10);

Councillor O’Shea abstained from voting.

The motion was therefore declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            the scheme of members’ allowances be amended as follows:

(a)  The following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 258

To report the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and invite recommendations to Council.

The Scrutiny Commission gave consideration to the report of the Independent Panel on members’ allowances.

RESOLVED – the report be noted.