It came as little surprise in the end, but, at tonight's meeting on 31st of March 2009 the council voted by 23 to 16 to reject a conservative amendment to freeze allowances because of the present economic crisis.
Ordinary Councillors will now get a basic allowance of £13,030 per annum. (Backdated to last January)
All the labour members present and the three Plaid members and two independents who support the labour controlled council all voted for the full pay increase whilst all but one of the others, voted to freeze the allowances.
So apart from Independent Blaenavon Councillor Tom Huish all those who voted to increase the allowances will get, in addition to the £13,030 per annum a special responsibility allowance which varies from an extra £5,534 per annum up to an extra £27,679 for the leader. Cabinet members will get a total of £26,869pa plus expenses, the leader will get £40,709pa plus expenses (he claimed £5,651 last year) and everyone who voted for the increase will now get a minimum of £18,564pa plus expenses. They also benefit from a pension scheme, and many of them are already retired and in receipt of a pension or pensions.
Discuss?
UPDATE
Monmouthshire Councillors voted NOT to take the same payrise.
"Monmouthshire councillors rejected the increase at a meeting of the fullSee Argus article here
council, with leader of the council Peter Fox saying the acceptance of such a
raise would be ' wrong and immoral '. "
