Torfaen Councillors will be asked at the September council meeting to accept a motion put by Cllr Tom Gould to freeze their basic allowances, and reduce the extra allowances allocated to the Leader, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Members and all Chairs of Scrutiny Committees by 50%
Cllr Gould says, “We are being constantly told that there will be a tight budget, so it is only right that we set an example to the people we serve” How the vote goes will give us a real indication of the stature of councillors we have.
DISCUSS !
(For information below is a table comparing the allowances given to councillors in Torfaen and Gwynedd . You will note that if the motion is passed then the allowances will be similar in both boroughs. Gwynedd is larger than Torfaen in terms of area, voters and budget)
Councillors Allowances 2007/2008 | Torfaen | Gwynedd |
| Basic | £12,718 | £11,862 |
| Leader | £27,017 | £14,154 |
| Mayor (Chairman in Gwynedd) | £8,105 | £3,523 |
| Cabinet members with portfolios | £13,508 | £5,544 |
| Chair, scrutiny committees | £8,105 | £4,435 |
| Chair, planning, Licensing etc | £8,105 | £2,217 |
| Vice Chairs scrutiny | £0 | £2,217 |
