Cllr Harper and other councillors vote early for Christmas?

Christmas Shopping in Lisbon... quick before the Euro
 implodes on December 9th!

Thanks to the several reporters who have spotted this one. Cllr. Harper (Stanground East) who recently spent some £1,800 of CLF funding on 'raised vegetable beds' for an infants school on his patch - the school closed today 30th November, due to the teachers / public sector strike (Cllr Harper is also a School Governor) may be rewarded with an early financial Christmas present (along with other PCC councillors and cabinet members) as they will be discussing and voting this week, on how much of a tax free rise in personal allowances, they should award themselves, although to accept the the Panel’s proposals would result in a £19,610.00 overspend against the current budget. The PCC recently let go a number of key staff, and slashed many operational budgets as a cost cutting measure.

The current basic tax free allowance of £7,962.08 is to be increased to £9,000 (see details below and paid out regardless of actual attendance). On top is a further highly prized tax free Special Responsibility Allowance for membership of a committee, again actual attendance could be very poor, but the further Special Responsibilty Allowance is still paid in full and not pro rata in accordance with individual attendance records.

The document is available on this link:

http://democracy.peterborough.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=9796

"That SRA’s payable to the three Chairs of Neighbourhood Committees be extended to

seven Committees but that the level of payment to all Chairs of Neighbourhood

Committees - be set at 0.25 of the net basic allowance."We tried in vein to work out the exact cost of the increases and gave up so here is the detail of the report

1. ORIGIN OF REPORT

1.1 The Council has a statutory requirement to establish and maintain an Independent

Members’ Allowances Panel, which will broadly have the functions of providing the

local authority with advice on its scheme and the amounts to be paid. Local authorities

must have regard to this advice.

1.2 The Panel met on three occasions during 2011 in order to review the current Members’

Allowances scheme. This followed a decision of Council on 15 July 2009

that the  Basic Allowance and Members’ car parking be considered by the Panel once the joint review of staff and Members’ car parking arrangements had been undertaken by the Council.

Their report dated 31st October 2011 , sets out their findings and recommendations.

1.3 All Members of the Council were invited to make representations to the Panel either in

writing or in person.

2. PURPOSE AND REASON FOR REPORT

2.1 To consider the recommendations of the Independent Members’ Allowances Panel

following its review of the Council’s current Members’ Allowances scheme.

2.2 The Council must ‘have regard’ to the Panel’s recommendations but may then

determine what action it wishes to take. The only element where the Council does not

have any discretion is with regard to recommendations concerning membership of the

Local Government Pension Scheme.

3. RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM THE REVIEW

3.1 The Panel recommends:

3.2 Basic Allowance

That in future, the scheme of allowances be updated for inflation by the use of the

NJC increase applied to staff pay;

That the current basic allowance of £7,962.08 be increased to £9,000, (which includes

an element of travel and telephone allowance as set out below).

That the travel allowance of £227.45 within the basic allowance be rounded to £230.

That the telephone allowance of £568.68 within the basic allowance is rounded to

£570 and that all personal calls continue to be the responsibility of Members.

3.3 Special Responsibility Allowance (SRAs)

That Members continue to be restricted to one SRA.

That the Deputy Leader’s SRA be reduced from 75% of the Leader to 65%.

That the number of Cabinet SRA’s be reduced by one at the earliest opportunity.

That the multiplier for calculating Cabinet allowances be reduced from 2 x net basic to

1.5 net basic of the basic allowance.

That the payment to Scrutiny Chairs be reduced from 1 x basic allowance to 0.75 net

basic allowance.

That SRA’s payable to the three Chairs of Neighbourhood Committees be extended to

seven Committees but that the level of payment to all Chairs of Neighbourhood

Committees be set at 0.25 of the net basic allowance.

That Regulatory Committee SRA’s be kept in line with Scrutiny Committees.

3.4 Telephone Allocation

That the Members’ Allowances scheme be updated to record the entitlement of

Members to be in receipt of an iphone.

4. CONSULTATION
4.1 All Members were invited to make written representation to the Panel and offered the

opportunity to address the Panel in person. The Panel has considered all submissions

in detail.

5. IMPLICATIONS

5.1

Legal - The legal implications are referred to within the report.

5.2

Finance – The Panel’s proposals would result in a £19,610.00 overspend against the

current budget forecast but would be within current budget allocation. The budget for

2012/13 has not yet been determined.

.. (C) Stanground & Park Farm News 2011 E&OE Tel: 01733 345581 ..... LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE (non-emergency) 101 In an Emergency Dial 999. [Always request an INCIDENT NUMBER] If you have information about crime contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.