Issue - meetings

Report of the Council's IRP on Members' Allowances for 2019/20

Meeting: 13/12/2018 - Council (Item 62)

62 Report of the Council's IRP on Members' Allowances for 2019/20

To receive a report by the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel on its review of Members’ Allowances together with a covering report by the Director of Finance and Organisation.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive introduced a report concerning a review of Members’ Allowances by the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP).

The report set out the relevant statutory powers and background. Appended to the report was the IRPs nineteenth report on Members’ Allowances including its recommendations together with the financial implications.

The Mayor (Councillor Mrs. D.A. Ross-Tomlin) invited the Leader of the Council (Councillor M.A. Brunt) to speak. In doing so, Councillor M.A. Brunt thanked Members of the IRP for their report and noted that it covered a number of issues, including: 

-       The importance of providing clarity on the role of elected members.

 

-       Encouraging people from the widest possible range of backgrounds to serve as councillors and how the allowances scheme could assist with this objective.

 

-       Options for updating the Carers’ Allowance to ensure this reflected the actual cost of care;

 

-       Matters highlighted for future reviews, including the importance of assessing the impact of recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission, concerning new ward boundaries, once these had been implemented.     

The Leader of the Council also made reference to various issues relating to the wider economic landscape and to data, set out in the IRP’s report, concerning Members’ Allowances across Surrey. The Leader of the Council emphasised that while he supported many of the IRP’s recommendations he was unable to support them in full.

As a result, Councillor M.A. Brunt moved, and Councillor G.J. Knight seconded, adjustments to the IRP’s recommendations. During the debate that followed a number of issues were considered and it was

RESOLVED

1a.

That Recommendation (i) of the IRP’s Report be amended so the principle of adopting the October CPI as the external benchmark for the purposes of uplifting Members’ Allowances not be applied for 2019/20.

1b.

That Recommendation (iv) of the IRP’s Report be amended so that there be no increase in the Basic Allowance for 2019/20.

1c.

That Recommendation (vii - a) of the IRP’s Report be amended so that no increase of CPI be applied for 2019/20 to the SRAs for the Leader; Deputy Leader; Executive Members; Full Council Chairman; Planning Committee Chairman; Planning Committee Members; Overview and Scrutiny Chairman; Budget Scrutiny Review Panel Chairman; Licensing and Regulatory Committee Chairman; and Leader of Political Groups. 

1d.

That Recommendation (viii) of the IRP’s Report be amended so that there be no increase in the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s Allowances for 2019/20.

1e.

That Recommendation (xiii) of the IRP’s Report in relation to the adoption of the Members Allowances Scheme for 2019/20 be amended to take account of no CPI increase for 2019/20.  

1f.

That Recommendations (ii), (iii), (v), (vi), (vii b, c and d), (ix), (x), and (xi) of the IRP’s Report be adopted.

2.

That no further work be commissioned from the IRP for their review in 2019.

3.

That the Chief Executive be authorised to make the necessary changes to the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2019/20 (approved under Resolution 1a – 1f above).

4.

That the financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62