Agenda item

The Director of Legal and Governance Services submitted a report, the purpose of which was to request that Council consider the recommendations proposed by the Independent Panel on Members' Remuneration outlined in paragraph's 5-9 in respect of Members Allowances, and adopt the proposed Members Scheme of Allowances for 2020/21 (Appendix 1).

The Director of Legal and Governance Services advised that the Council were required under The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 to publish a Members Scheme of Allowances on an annual basis and to have due regard to the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Members Remuneration.

It was highlighted that the only change from the Scheme of Allowances approved at Council in October 2019 was an increase of one thousand pounds for the next two years in respect of the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Mayor and Lead Member for Children's Social Care portfolio in recognition of the additional responsibility for Children's Social Care.  

Members were advised that there was an amendment to the report. There was an omission in the Financial section of the report, Paragraphs 13 - 15 to advise of the previously agreed Scheme of Allowances and the proposed amendment to the Deputy Mayor allowance which would be met from existing Members Allowances budgets.

Councillor M Storey stated that his group had concerns regarding the proposed increase in the Deputy Mayor portfolio Special Responsibility Allowance. The remit of each portfolio was within the gift of the Elected Mayor. Councillor Story stated that the Remuneration Panel had taken a subjective view on the revised portfolio of the Deputy Mayor but there had been significant changes to the portfolio of Councillor Smile’s portfolio which now encompassed Communities and Education. Councillor Storey stated that If the Remuneration Panel considered that there should be an increase in remuneration if there was an increase in responsibility, should there be a decrease in remuneration if there was a reduction in responsibility for a portfolio holder. The Deputy Mayor also already received a higher SRA than the other portfolio holders.

Councillor High advised that the process for members remuneration was carried out in isolation and he stated that he would like to reject the proposals and he requested that Councillors vote against the proposal to increase the Deputy Mayor and Lead Member for Children's Social Care Special Responsibility Allowance as it was not something that he would accept.

Councillor Rathmell stated that he echoed the sentiments of Councillor Storey and Councillor High, given that the Government were looking at freezing public sector pay and the issue of COVID-19 and all increases included in the report should be rejected.

The Mayor stated that the Deputy Mayor had not had any involvement in the process for Members remuneration, it had been the Independent Remuneration Panel who had suggested the proposed increase to the Special Responsibility Allowance, given the increased responsibilities that the portfolio had assumed. The Mayor pointed out that all of the Executive Members worked really hard and he pointed out that he had reduced the number of members on his Executive which had resulted in a saving to the Members Allowances Scheme.

The Monitoring Officer queried whether Members would like to consider an amendment to the report, given that members appeared to be only objecting to the part of the report in respect of the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Mayor portfolio.

Councillor Rathmell moved a recorded vote and proposed that the whole report be sent back to the Remuneration Panel. Councillor High proposed that the whole of the report be referred back to the Independent Remuneration Panel for further consideration. Councillor Storey stated that the report should be sent back in its entirety and a recorded vote be undertaken 

The Monitoring Officer conducted a recorded vote.

Votes Against: (38)

Councillors Branson, Cooke, Cooper, Coupe, Davison, Dean, Dodds, Furness, Garvey, Goodchild, Hellaoui, Higgins, High, Hill, C Hobson, J Hobson, Hubbard, Hussain, Jones, Lewis, Mason, Mawston, McCabe, Polano, Purvis, Rathmell, Rooney, Rostron, Sands, Saunders, Smiles, M Storey, Thompson, J Walker, S Walker, Waters, Wilson, Wright

Votes to Abstain (4)

The Mayor (A Preston) Councillors Arundale, Bell and Platt

Following the vote, it was ORDERED that the report in respect of the Members Scheme of Allowances for 2020/21 be referred back to the Independent Panel on Members' Remuneration for reconsideration.