Issue - meetings

Report CSD 18120

The regulations governing Members’ Allowances required that full Council approve a Members’ Allowances Scheme each year before 1^st April for the following financial year.  At its meeting on 29^th May 2018 this Committee asked for an early report on the Members’ Allowances Scheme to allow more scope for discussion and research. The report set out the current scheme and examined some of the issues that could be reviewed prior to recommending the 2019/20 scheme.

Two areas for particular consideration were proposed - changing from a fixed allowance to a £50 per meeting allowance for attendance at Plans Sub-Committees, and examining whether executive Members were underpaid. It was suggested that executive Members should be asked how many hours per week they spent on Council work to provide evidence for the review.  

The Mayoral Allowance had a different legal basis to other Member Allowances, and was not part of the Members Allowances Scheme. A Member suggested that it should be possible for the Mayor to claim most expenditure as business expenses rather than through the allowance, thus saving on tax paid.

RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted and a further report be made to a future meeting.