Issue - meetings

INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL

Meeting: 22/05/2015 - Council (Item 9)

9 COUNCILLORS' ALLOWANCES SCHEME pdf icon 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.