Councillors allowances frozen in Worcester (From Worcester News)
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Councillors allowances frozen in Worcester
10:58am Thursday 21st February 2013 in News By Tom Edwards
Guildhall chiefs agree to freeze councillors allowances
COUNCILLORS’ allowances have been frozen in Worcester - with the city’s leader rejecting the chance to get a 26 per cent pay rise.
Politicians of all colours agreed it would be the “wrong time” to raise the handouts while cutting jobs and freezing pay for staff.
During a full council meeting at the Guildhall, leader Coun Simon Geraghty said the pressure on the authority was so great it would be folly to increase allowances.
As your Worcester News first revealed last Saturday, an independent panel recommended rates go up 5.3 per cent for backbenchers, to £4,200 a year.
The panel also suggested Coun Geraghty’s “special responsibility allowance” could rise 26 per cent to £12,600, and that his deputy Coun Marc Bayliss’ top-up increase 22 per cent to £7,350.
But the council had no obligation to take it on board, and has now voted unanimously to ignore it.
Coun Geraghty said: “In light of the pressures on the organisation and the staff, who are not getting an increase in pay, it would not be the right time to do this.
“They should remain frozen for all members so the allowances stay exactly the same as they are now.”
Councillors’ allowances in Worcester have been frozen for the last three years - the last time they went up was six per cent in 2010.
At the time, the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) suggested they be raised by 12 per cent.
The latest IRP report said expectations on the leadership are constantly increasing and that the workload has been going up.
It also said the basic rates for councillors, which stands at £3,990, is slightly below what politicians can expect to get at other district town halls.
The city council is slashing 26 jobs by 2015.
Last week Worcestershire County Council also agreed a freeze for 2013/14.
It came despite Councillor Richard Udall, the deputy leader of County Hall’s Labour group, saying it needs to be increased to avoid local government becoming a “retirement club”.
Comments(8)
Landy44
says...
12:14pm Thu 21 Feb 13
...and the County council have frozen too! WOW! Now we just need them to behave like a proper council, stop trying to deliver services they shouldn't, cut back the ones we can't afford (there are still many big cuts to be made), deliver the remaining ones more efficiently, stop investing in vanity projects, and focus on supporting a good local economic environment.
Mr Udall clearly "gets it" about as well as his city council counterpart - how out of touch and what a dangerous opinion! I don't know about local government being a "retirement club" but it, like national government is way too big, too costly, and too incompetent to continue as it is. Radical thinking, reduction and change is needed to reduce it's unnecesary influence so the country and our county can rebuild itself.
Redhillman
says...
12:18pm Thu 21 Feb 13
broadwas
says...
12:40pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Landy44 wrote:Got it on the nail, Landy44!
Two "Well done's" in one day for Mr Geraghty! ...and the County council have frozen too! WOW! Now we just need them to behave like a proper council, stop trying to deliver services they shouldn't, cut back the ones we can't afford (there are still many big cuts to be made), deliver the remaining ones more efficiently, stop investing in vanity projects, and focus on supporting a good local economic environment. Mr Udall clearly "gets it" about as well as his city council counterpart - how out of touch and what a dangerous opinion! I don't know about local government being a "retirement club" but it, like national government is way too big, too costly, and too incompetent to continue as it is. Radical thinking, reduction and change is needed to reduce it's unnecesary influence so the country and our county can rebuild itself.
Just tried to view a neighbour's planning application "on't tinterweb" Put the right ref in and....nothing. Called the "Hub", got 2 menus of choices and ended up back at the switchboard. Told the lady of the problem and after 2 minutes she said "Well I can find it so it must be a problem with your system. I did it again and made her wait and...still nowt. Asked to be put through to planning and got a 'the number you are trying is not available - please call later'.
Remember the days when officials could not hide behind voicemails or emails? I despair especially when they are paid for being there not for how well they do the job.
The Doosra
says...
12:46pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Redhillman wrote:You are so out of touch with reality, it is quite unreal.
Now that councillors have, rarely, made a positive step, can the same happen to council staff too please. They quite happily benefit from high salaries and generous perks, benefits and expenses.
Flomay
says...
12:58pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Redhillman wrote:is that why County Council staff haven't had a wage rise for 4 years!!!
Now that councillors have, rarely, made a positive step, can the same happen to council staff too please. They quite happily benefit from high salaries and generous perks, benefits and expenses.
Landy44
says...
4:06pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Flomay wrote:Before this thread degenerates into bashing council staff/council staff complaining about not getting a payrise here's a thought.
Redhillman wrote:is that why County Council staff haven't had a wage rise for 4 years!!!
Now that councillors have, rarely, made a positive step, can the same happen to council staff too please. They quite happily benefit from high salaries and generous perks, benefits and expenses.
Under the previous government (and some of those prior to that) the public sector has grown and taken on an extremely high proportion of the working population.
Unfortunately, we (all of us tax payers in both public and private sectors) cannot afford such a big state "machine". We never could but previous governments have been mortgaging our childrens futures to pay for it in the here and now.
Unfortunately, it's now time to face reality and pay the piper. SO...while my heart goes out to council and other public sector works who haven't had a payrise for four years, I'm afraid if I were you, I'd start proactively looking for a new employer. If you don't, you'll probably find yourself continuing to not have pay rises until the point you are told your services are no longer required. No matter how important you think your job may be, unless it can be paid for, it won't last....and there is no more money!
green49
says...
7:07am Fri 22 Feb 13
It is time however to hit the big pay employees at the councils as most of those are the problem not the workers after all we are ALL IN IT TOGETHER? are we not? what a load of B******* that is, if it all goes down the pan to the Private firms be careful what you wished for.
broadwas says...
11:15am Thu 21 Feb 13