Allowances raised amid ‘games’

A raise in district councillors expenses was passed despite a late bid by independent councillors to stop some increases.

As previously reported, an independent board had set the proposals to change some of the payments that councillors can claim for their otherwise unpaid roles.
As the item was discussed at last week’s meeting of South Holland District Council, leader of the South Holland Independents Coun Rob Gibson emailed the new proposals.
“I know we shouldn’t go against an independent panel but some of our members are concerned,” he said. “My members are independent, they can vote as they wish, but some asked me to look at the proposals and suggested we shouldn’t be increasing allowances when people are struggling.
“Some members do not want the increases.”
The new proposals included no change in the annual increase to £6,255 but argued there should only be one deputy leader (there’s currently two) and argued chairs of certain committees that met less than five times a year receive less while their deputies should receive half as much as the chair.
Coun Spencer added: “It’s appropriate we take steps to keep financially stable, but won’t support steps to increase our moral bankruptcy.
“We’re looking to make savings that will see services being changed.
“I think it’s despicable in this day and age we’d be considering putting extra financial burdens on the residents of South Holland giving ourselves a pay rise.
“It’s a perverse Robin Hood.”
Coun Gary Taylor described it as ‘an attempt to score points and play games.’
“We know this work has taken some time to come to these recommendations,” he said. “We live in a world where we need to encourage people from all backgrounds to become councillors.
“We take this role very seriously.”
To cries of ‘hear hear’ from independent councillors Coun Paul Barnes responded to Coun Taylor by referring to the 45 minutes set aside for questions at the start of the meeting: “I’ve just sat through a council meeting watching prepared questions and answers.
“Let’s start talking about playing games and also trying to eat away time to stop independents asking questions.”
Coun Gibson argued the reason it hadn’t been set earlier was due to the tight timescales as the independent councillors meet less frequently than the Conservatives.
The new proposals weren’t voted on as the original proposals were voted through, just, by 15 votes to 13 and after claims someone voted for and against.
Conservative councillors voted for the increases bar councillors Jim Astill, Anthony Casson who abstained.
South Holland Independents Bryan Alcock also abstained while their Coun Sam Chauhan voted in favour of the proposals.
“Sometimes we’re disproportionately promoted in the press we’re just here to raise our own profile and do it for the money and I don’t always agree with that,” he said without citing any examples of this media coverage.”
As well as the three per cent increase to the basic annual allowance and leader’s increase to £20,14, there’s a one off payment of £15,000 to the deputy leaders who could previously claim for two roles being portfolio holders. The panel decided they should only claim one.
Portfolio holders’ allowances will increase to £7,500.
The report to the council contained an error in that it’s the deputy of the opposition who can now claim a £1,000 special responsibility allowance not the leader itself as it said.
Coun Sally Slade, said: “if members wish to save the public money they can opt out.”