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 '. "
10 comments:
How please I am to see this info somewhere!!!
The Argus & Free Press were sent Press Releases but have failed to print them.
A fine example TCBC Labour/Plaid Coalition is setting isnt it! Disgraceful.
COPY OF LETTER SENT TO FREE PRESS AND SOUTH WALES ARGUS. THEY WERE NOT PRINTED!
Dear Sirs,
In reference to your "Credit where Credit is due" story, I too would like to applaud the actions of those Monmouthshire Councillors who voted against the 2.5% payrise.
Sadly, here in Torfaen, the Labour/Plaid coalition voted to approve that same 2.5% payrise, which brings payrises to TCBC Councillors to almost 4.9% since January 09.
People in this Borough are losing their jobs, homes and businesses at the moment. It is morally wrong for me to vote for these 2 payrises, when all around, people are struggling to pay for basic necessities. I voted against both rises and will be paying for Community Projects from the extra pay voted through by the Labour/Plaid Coalition.
Kind Regards
Elizabeth Haynes(Independent)
St Dials Ward Councillor
Champagne Socialism
I am ashamed of Torfaen Councilors on pocketing another increase in their expenses etc. Do they not realise that they are rubbing peoples noses in it? There are decent hardworking families who earn less than they do for a 48 hour plus week. Where are the morals and the ethics of this council? or is it a case of "I'm alright jack, bugger you!". We as workers pay their wages. ROLL ON THE NEXT ELECTION!!!!!!!
(copied from grumble sheet)
Click link above to see comments from Argus readers
Its pretty sad that these councillors have given themselves such a pay rise when the same council announced they were to make 50 redundancies. It makes you wonder how they sleep at night.
Some of these councillors have been in power for too long and feel they can do what they want, they've forgotten that they are there for the people of Torfaen, not the other way round.
As for the Plaid councillors, the people of Torfen voted for change last time only to be stabbed in the back by these who have basically been bought by places on committess.
Consider members of parliament and assembly members allowances and expenses, is it conceivable the assembly would fund a Quango that could be anything other than sympathetic toward councillor remuneration, I feel certain this panel was initiated with the sole purpose of countering any criticism levelled at councillors over what many consider unwarranted, levels of remuneration?
One can only ponder over the ramifications that would have followed had the Independent Remuneration Panel been anything other than sympathetic toward councillors, I feel sure under the auspices of this panel, some Torfaen councillors have shown the voter a complete lack of self discipline through their ceaseless endeavour for self enhancement, remember these are recommendations only, not obligatory levels of remuneration,
The act of voting oneself two allowance increases in such a short time, and in such times, will be to many particularly unpalatable, especially when you consider many are having to practice extreme restraint, this has I believe exposed a number of Torfaen councillors as having an excessive desire for money? and having little or no regard whatsoever for the hardship their constituents are suffering? There are councils who empathise with their constituents, not so those that voted for additional remuneration in Torfaen.
If the labour candidate does not do very well in what was a Labour stronghold, it is, In all probability, Torfaen CBC. Labour coalition Councillors that have seriously jeopardised or perhaps ruined their Labour colleagues chances of success in the forthcoming election. Our MP. And assembly members prospects may also have been adversely affected.
Could It all be attributed to the controversial way in which Labour retained control, the generous Remuneration they have awarded themselves that has seen all but the few die-hard supporters become really disenchanted with the labour party, it is hard to see how they can sink any lower in the voters estimation. And to keep referring to the the assembly funded so called independent remuneration panel for justification really is somewhat sickening.
After reading an article in the Argus Sat 18/4/09 “Councillors reject call to freeze allowances”
I was motivated to read some of the details of the councillors much loved and quoted Independent remuneration panel, I viewed its members, one at least I believe has close links with the Assembly others have I believe been councillors or closely associated with a council, I also list below those who I feel sure would be objective and could not in anyway have influenced the the panel.
The panel consulted?
Leaders of county and county Borough Councils
chief Executives of County and County Borough Councils
Welsh Local Government Association
National Association of Councillors
Political Parties
Written responses were received from?
Caerphilly County Borough Council - Members
Ceredigion County Council - Member
Flintshire County council - Members and Officers
Gwynedd Council
Monmouthshire County council - Members
Neath Port Talbot County - Member and Officer
Newport City Council - Member
Powys County Council - Members and Officer
Swansea City Council - Member and Officer
Vale of Glamorgan Council - Members
Wrexham County Borough Council – Officer
The Panel met with representatives from?
The Welsh Local Government Association
National Association of Councillors
I believe All the hype that we are bombarded with about the modern day councillor is just that, hype, and has come about as a result of amalgamation, this has allowed councillors to wallow in their delusions of grandeur and has given councils carte blanc to empire build, I believe as was always, the officers run the council, and without them councillors would be completely lost, and even more of a nonentity, and as always without an officer by their side mouthing the words with his/her hand up the councillors back they would appear as if they were in a state of comatose, are Councils and councillors more efficient than before Amalgamation, Councillors would have you believe they are, and now they have a panel to still further their egoism,
The leader is really quick to explain how low the assembly settlement was, but what about the vast amounts being poured into Torfaen by various bodies and by the assembly directly for various projects, Schools, Pontypool regeneration etc., all the work in Blaenavon who is paying to upgrade areas in Torfaen that are among the most deprived in Wales, and who are paying for all the rises councillors keep awarding themselves?
I do not quite understand what the politicians mean, when they say I will return any profit I make on the sale of my second home to the assembly. What a grand gesture this is, Sounds good, a real face saver? The profit I take to be the difference between the purchase and the sale price, and if that is so. The many thousands the taxpayer has contributed toward paying off the mortgage, is what, a gift? And remember also on or after the sale of the property all the elaborate and extremely expensive goodies can be sold, given to the offspring and if they have not already been so can be shipped to the main home? But first the house has to be sold, this grand gesture may not be all it seems they may decide after no longer serving the community, to let the property as fully furnished? Still on a winner at our expense?
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