Agenda item

To receive a report of the Director of Corporate Affairs and Business Transformation informing Members of recommendations from the review undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Council had before it a * report of the Director of Corporate Affairs and Business Transformation informing Members of a review undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel and their recommendations.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

a)    That the Basic Allowance to be paid to all Councillors remain at the current level of £4,865 pa with any increases being linked to the staff pay award.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

b)    That Special Responsibility Allowances be paid to the following Members at the unchanged levels indicated below:

 

 

Position	Weighting x basic		SRA
Leader of the Council		3.00	£14,595
Deputy Leader		1.50	£7,298
Cabinet Member		1.25	£6,081
Scrutiny Committee Chair		1.25	£6,081
PDG Chair		0.75	£3,649
Audit Committee Chair		0.75	£3,649
Planning Committee Chair		1.25	£6,081
Licensing/Regulatory Chair		0.25	£1,216
Standards Chair		0.25	£1,216
Chairman of the Council		0.50	£2,433

 

Councillor J L Smith MOVED an AMENDMENT seconded by Councillor R J Dolley that Special Responsibility Allowances be reduced by 10% and paid to the following Members at the levels indicated below:

 

 

Position	Weighting x basic	SRA
Leader of the Council	2.7	£13,135
Deputy Leader	1.35	£6,568
Cabinet Member	1.12	£5,472
Scrutiny Committee Chair	1.12	£5,472
PDG Chair	.675	£3,284
Audit Committee Chair	.675	£3,284
Planning Committee Chair	1.12	£5,472
Licensing/Regulatory Chair	.22	£1,094
Standards Chair	.22	£1,094
Chairman of the Council	.45	£2,189

 

 

Following debate and upon a vote being taken, the AMENDMENT was declared to have FAILED.

 

Upon a vote being taken the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

c)    To confirm that no Member should be entitled to claim more than one Special Responsibility Allowance.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

d)    Carers’ allowances be calculated on the current basis namely, the actual expenditure up to the national living wage of a person over 25.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

e)  That travel allowances be linked to HMRC rates and calculated at the national levels indicated, currently:

 

·         45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles

·         25p per mile thereafter

·         5p per mile per passenger carried (up to a maximum of 4 passengers payable to the driver)

·         25p per mile for pushbikes

 

                NB: To be increased in line with HMRC rates from 1 April 2017 once known.

 

                That only travel from within the Mid Devon border to attend an official duty be recompensed to the Member.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

f)        That the subsistence allowances be linked to those of the staff, currently these are as follows:

 

o   Breakfast - £7.02      

o   Lunch - £9.70                                               

o   Tea - £3.81                

o   Dinner - £12.00        

 

                   NB: To be increased in line with HMRC rates from 1 April 2017 once known.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

g)  That all claims for travel and subsistence reimbursement be accompanied by    an appropriate receipt.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

h)  That an annual digital allowance of £150 continue to be paid to Member using digital devices only.

 

Councillor J L Smith MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Councillor R J Dolley that an annual digital allowance of £150 paid to Members using digital devices only be abolished.

 

Following debate and upon a vote being taken, the AMENDMENT was declared to have FAILED.

 

Upon a vote being taken the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

i) That the current Town and Parish Council Scheme of Allowances remain in place.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

 

The Chairman MOVED, THAT:

 

j) That Members of the Authority are not entitled to pensions and   therefore neither the basic allowance nor SRA be treated as an allowance in respect of which pensions are payable.

 

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.