Issue - meetings
INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL
Meeting: 22/05/2015 - Council (Item 9)
9 COUNCILLORS' ALLOWANCES SCHEME PDF 177 KB
To approve the councillors’ allowances scheme, having regard to the recommendations of the independent remuneration panel.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Council was asked to approve the councillors’ allowances scheme having regard to the recommendations of the independent remuneration panel.
The Assistant Director, Governance presented the report.
RESOLVED:
That: a) the independent remuneration panel be thanked for its report; and
b) having regard to the report of the panel, the following recommendations be approved:
1) that the current method of calculating basic allowance be retained;
2) a lower rate basic allowance be payable to all members unless all relevant mandatory training has been completed by 1 September, as set out in the draft councillors’ allowances scheme at appendix B to the report;
3) the lower rate basic allowance be calculated using the estimated monthly average hours worked of 90, less a public service discount of 50%, multiplied by the Herefordshire median hourly earnings, multiplied by 12 (months);
4) the assistant director governance be requested to develop a report, following consultation with group leaders, on options for implementing a system of annual performance appraisal for elected members for consideration by the audit & governance committee;
5) the special responsibility allowance for vice chairmen of overview and scrutiny committees be set at band 5;
6) delegated authority be given to the assistant director governance, following consultation with the chairmen of general overview & scrutiny committee and health & social care overview and scrutiny committee, to establish and publicise a set of criteria against which eligibility for a special responsibility allowance of £500 for chairing a task and finish group would be assessed when the committee appoints any such chairman;
7) the remaining special responsibility allowances, as set out at appendix B to the report, continue unchanged;
8) basic and special responsibility allowances be updated annually in line with the national joint council for local government services pay award for a period of not more than four years;
9) the current schemes of travel and subsistence, and childcare and dependants’ carers’ allowances be retained;
10) the current childcare and dependants’ carers’ allowance scheme be extended to parish councils if they wish to adopt such a scheme; and
c) taking account of the above recommendations, the revised councillors’ allowances scheme at appendix B to the report be adopted.