Agenda item

To adopt a Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2019/20 and to consider the payment of a proposed Honorarium to Independent Remuneration Panel Members.

A recorded vote having been requested by Councillor Julian Cunningham on the amendment, that the Special Responsibility Allowance for Executive Members remain at £7,000, was carried as follows:.

For:

Councillors Ian Albert, Daniel Allen, Kate Aspinwall, Clare Billing, Ruth Brown, Val Bryant, Paul Clark, Sam Collins, Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg, Gary Grindal, Mike Hughson, Steve Jarvis, Ian Mantle, Paul Marment, Lisa Nash, Sue Ngwala, Helen Oliver, Deepak Sangha, Martin Stears-Handscomb, Terry Tyler.

TOTAL 20

Against:

Councillors David Barnard, John Bishop, Julian Cunningham, Bill Davidson, Steve Deakin-Davies, Sarah Dingley, Faye Frost, Terry Hone, David Levett, Bernard Lovewell, Ian Moody, Michael Muir, Lynda Needham, Janine Paterson, Mike Rice, Val Shanley, Harry Spencer-Smith, Claire Strong, Michael Weeks

TOTAL 19

Abstain:

Councillors Jean Green, Nicola Harris, Simon Harwood, Tony Hunter.

TOTAL 4

Upon the vote it was

RESOLVED:

(1) That, subject to the Special Responsibility Allowance for Executive Members remaining at £7,000, the Scheme for financial year 2019/20 as set out in Appendix B be agreed;

(2) That the payment of an Honorarium of £500 to each member of the Panel, for any year that a Panel reviews and prepares a report on Members’ Allowances be agreed.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Council meets statutory requirements. Improve the possibility of having a Panel to review Members’ allowances.

Audio recording – Session 2 – 37minutes 44 seconds

The Service Director – Legal and Community presented the report entitled Members Allowances Scheme 2019/20. The following appendices were included with the report:

• Appendix A - Report of IRP Panel for 2017/18 Allowances;

• Appendix B - Proposed Members Allowances 2019-20.

Members were advised that a tracked changed version of the Members Allowances Scheme had been made available and that the allowance for the second largest opposition group Leader was £750, which should read £1750 and it was noted that this was a variable allowance.

Councillor Needham moved and Councillor Cunningham seconded the recommendations contained in the report.

Councillor Stears-Handscomb proposed and Councillor Oliver seconded an amendment that the Special Responsibility Allowance for Executive Members remained at £7,000.

The following Members took part in the debate:

• Councillor Sam Collins;

• Councillor Julian Cunningham;

• Councillor Steve Jarvis;

• Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg;

• Councillor David Levett;

• Councillor Claire Strong;

• Councillor Tony Hunter;

• Councillor David Barnard;

• Councillor Kate Aspinwall;

• Councillor Helen Oliver;

• Councillor Michael Weeks.

Questions asked by Members were answered by the Service Director Legal and Community and the Service Director – Resources.