Meeting documents

To consider a report by the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel (JIRP). The recommendations relate to the Scheme of Members Allowances 2022 -23.

The Council welcomed and thanked the Panel for its report and recommendations and RESOLVED to:

1.     Support and agree the Panel’s recommendations 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

2.     Reject the proposed Panel’s recommendation 1 and 8 to increase the level of Basic Allowance for 2021/22 and 2022/23 by inflation (as determined by CPiH) and instead increase the level of Basic Allowances for 2021/22 and 2022/23 at the same level of increase as for officer pay levels.

(Reason for the revised proposal is to continue with the principle that the Council has adopted for several years and concern about agreeing a recommendation to increase Members Allowances at over twice the annual percentage increase that staff will receive)

3.     Reject the Panel’s recommendation 3 in relation to Junior Cabinet Members and instead propose that they are moved to Band 6 noting that these roles may be subject to review following the elections in May 2022.

(Reason for the revised proposal is it is felt the reduction to Band 7 does not adequately reflect the support and time that current Junior Cabinet Members provide when compared to comparable roles)

4.     Reject the Panel’s recommendation 4 and to continue with the current level of special responsibility allowance for Opposition Spokespersons.

(Reasons for the revised proposal is it is felt that the level of time and commitment given by Opposition Spokespersons warrants an allowance in line with the Council’s arrangements for several years)

5.     Reject the Panel’s recommendation 5 and to increase the level of special responsibility allowance for Vice-Chairs of Regulation and Audit Committees to Band 6.

(Reasons for the revised proposal is it is felt that the level of responsibility and commitment given by the Vice-Chairs of these decision-making committees warrants an allowance in line with the Vice Chair of Scrutiny Committees)

6.     Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any amendments to the existing Scheme of Allowances in order to publish the Scheme of Members’ Allowances 2022/23 as a result of the Council’s decisions to recommendations 1-5 above.

This report was to inform the Council adopting a new Members’ Allowances Scheme before 1st April 2022 and as part of that process the Council must have regards to the recommendations from its Independent Renumeration Panel.  The arrangements for determining allowances for elected members are set down in statutory regulations - the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (SI 1021) and subsequent amendments to the regulations (SI 2003/1022 and SI 2003/1692). Each local authority is required to appoint and maintain an Independent Renumeration Panel to make recommendations to the Council prior to the Council agreeing any amendments or setting a Members’ Allowances Scheme. Somerset County Council, Somerset West and Taunton Council, and Mendip District Council established a joint panel to advise the councils on their respective Schemes.

The recommendations in the report were for the next financial year only as the roles and responsibilities under the Unitary Authority will change and these should be part of a further review by the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel over the coming year.

The importance of getting the allowances right is to recognise the time commitment of all councillors, including such inevitable calls on their time at meetings with officers and constituents and attendance at political group meetings. It is also intended to cover incidental costs such as the use of their homes, it is also expected to cover the occasional chairing of meetings, routine monitoring of services and budgets and taking part in performance management and training. The allowance is not a payment for a job, nor a wage or salary. It does however need to be a such a level to encourage a wide range of people to stand for public office and not deter those needing a wage.

The County Council discussed the proposals and thanked the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel for their work in proposing the recommendations. There was a recognition that next year with a wider remit and many more members there would be a need to make recommendations for the New Unitary Authority. The Leader of the Council proposed to accept most of the recommendations apart from 1 ,3,4,5 and 8.

1 and 8 were rejected as they linked the increase to the Basic Allowance to inflation and the Leader was concerned that they should be linked to Officer pay rather than RPI or Inflation as these are both higher. 

The matter of County Councillors not being eligible to join the Pension scheme since 2014 was raised as a potential reason why younger people are not willing to stand for election to public office was raised as a concern. The JIRP Panel was invited to shadow Councillors to gain insight into the wide range of the work they undertake and the hours involved in the role.

The Council welcomed and thanked the Panel for its report and the recommendations, which were proposed by Cllr David Fothergill and seconded by Cllr Liz Leyshon and RESOLVED to:

1.    Support and agree the Panel’s recommendations 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

2.    Reject the proposed Panel’s recommendation 1 and 8 to increase the level of Basic Allowance for 2021/22 and 2022/23 by inflation (as determined by CPiH) and instead increase the level of Basic Allowances for 2021/22 and 2022/23 at the same level of increase as for officer pay levels.

(Reason for the revised proposal is to continue with the principle that the Council has adopted for several years and concern about agreeing a recommendation to increase Members Allowances at over twice the annual percentage increase that staff will receive)

3.    Reject the Panel’s recommendation 3 in relation to Junior Cabinet Members and instead propose that they are moved to Band 6 noting that these roles may be subject to review following the elections in May 2022.

(Reason for the revised proposal is it is felt the reduction to Band 7 does not adequately reflect the support and time that current Junior Cabinet Members provide when compared to comparable roles)

4.    Reject the Panel’s recommendation 4 and to continue with the current level of special responsibility allowance for Opposition Spokespersons.

(Reasons for the revised proposal is it is felt that the level of time and commitment given by Opposition Spokespersons warrants an allowance in line with the Council’s arrangements for several years)

5.    Reject the Panel’s recommendation 5 and to increase the level of special responsibility allowance for Vice-Chairs of Regulation and Audit Committees to Band 6.

(Reasons for the revised proposal is it is felt that the level of responsibility and commitment given by the Vice-Chairs of these decision-making committees warrants an allowance in line with the Vice Chair of Scrutiny Committees)

6.    Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any amendments to the existing Scheme of Allowances in order to publish the Scheme of Members’ Allowances 2022/23 as a result of the Council’s decisions to recommendations 1-5 above.