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Agenda item

Recommendations from Independent Remuneration Panel

Purpose:

To outline the findings of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel regarding Member’s Allowances.

 

Recommendation(s)

Council is recommended to resolve to:

  1. Note the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (Annex A);
  2. Thank the Independent Remuneration Panel for their work;
  3. Agree that a backdated uplift of 4.04% will be applied to members’ allowances for the 2022/23 financial year;
  4. Adopt the Draft Allowances Scheme 2023-27 (Annex B), or an amended version of it;
  5. Note that if Council adopts a multi-year allowances scheme the Independent Remuneration Panel will hold a mid-term review;
  6. Instruct officers to produce a business case for issuing electronic devices to members.

Minutes:

Councillor Julian Cooper, Chair of the Council, introduced the report, which outlined the findings of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel regarding Member’s Allowances. By law, the Council is required to appoint an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which recommends the level of allowances for Councillors. The Panel was made up of three persons who were independent of the District Council.

 

Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economic Development, rose to thank the members of the Panel for the time they had invested in bringing forward their report to be determined at the meeting.

 

Councillor Michele Mead also thanked the Panel for the work they had undertaken to build the report and recommendations for Council’s consideration. Councillor Mead also stated that it was not the time to be entertaining an increase in member allowances, owing to the cost of living crisis being endured across the country, and reminded Members that revenue generated by the Council should be wholly spent on services and residents, not on an uplift in Council Member allowances.

 

Councillor Richard Langridge stated that the meeting of the Panel with officers took place on the same day of a Lowlands Area Planning Sub-Committee, which the Member chairs, and this was a factor in Councillor Langridge not being able to make representations to the Panel as a result. Councillor Langridge asked that the next meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel be held on a day when no Council or Committee Meetings are due to take place.

 

Councillor Harry St. John asked for clarity on some of the allowance figures contained within the Panel’s report, which were recommended to be reduced for the next year, and if any reductions were also to be backdated, as well as those that had been recommended for uplift.

 

Councillor Charlie Maynard asked if Council knew of any other public or local authorities that would, if Council were to agree the recommendations, vote to lower their pay or allowances, when levels of inflation are at their highest levels for over 40 years.

 

Councillor Norman MacRae MBE also thanked the panel for their excellent work on the subject. Councillor MacRae added that he would not support any uplift in member allowances, when Council, at the last meeting, voted to increase levels of Council Tax by the highest amount possible, adding that this would be grossly unfair and unjust.

 

Councillor Julian Cooper proposed that Council adopt the findings and recommendations made to it by the Independent Remuneration Panel. This was seconded by Councillor Andrew Coles. This was put to a vote, and there were 25 votes for, 18 votes against and Nil abstentions. The vote carried.

 

Council Resolved to:

1. Note the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (Annex A);

2. Thank the Independent Remuneration Panel for their work;

3. Agree that a backdated uplift of 4.04% will be applied to members’ allowances for the 2022/23 financial year;

4. Adopt the Draft Allowances Scheme 2023-27 (Annex B), or an amended version of it;

5. Note that if Council adopts a multi-year allowances scheme the Independent Remuneration Panel will hold a mid-term review;

6. Instruct officers to produce a business case for issuing electronic devices to members.

Supporting documents:

 

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