Decision details

The Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support presented the report of the Chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel on the level of Members’ Allowances for the three year period 2018/19 – 2020/21. The Panel had undertaken an extensive review of the allowances which included a comparison of similar and neighbouring Authorities. The Panel’s recommendation equated to an increase of £350 per member per annum over the next three years and, notwithstanding these recommendations suggested, that a more detail review be conducted in 2018/19 with relevant benchmarking being sought.

RECOMMENDED to Council to agree:-

(1)        the basic structure and principles of the current Members’ Allowances scheme be retained for 2018/19;

(2)        the principle be set that Special Responsibility Allowances be paid to no more than 50% of the overall number of councillors;

(3)        the principle that any Member qualifying for more than one Special Responsibility Allowance is paid the higher allowance only, should be retained, including, and if appropriate, for the Chair of the HRA Management Board (as per recommendation (11) below) if they are an elected Member;

(4)        the Councillors’ Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances including the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor’s Expenses Allowances, should be linked to the average allowance per resident, in the agreed comparator group of authorities, with this figure being set at £1.87 per resident for the three year period of 2018/19 – 2020/21;

(5)        that, as a consequence of (4) above, the basic allowance for 2018/19 be set at £5,400 per annum (an increase of £350), with this sum being increased by a further £350 per annum in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years (to £5,750 and £6,100 respectively);

(6)        that an additional Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to each Member Champion, with this being set at one quarter of a basic allowance (£1,350 in 2018/19), with such an allowance only payable during the life span of the particular task, and would be pro-rata for part-yearly terms;

(7)        Travel and Subsistence allowances available for staff continue to apply to Exeter City Councillors, where appropriate;

(8)        the current Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance scheme be maintained, with the continuation of the level of allowance matching the Living Wage of £8.44 per hour or part of (retaining the uplift of the standard rate of income tax to £10.13);  

(9)        the sum of £50 paid to the Independent Persons affiliated to the Audit and Governance Committee for up to four hours work, and £100 for four hours and over, payable to each of the two Independent Persons (up to a maximum of £500 per person in any one year) be retained;

(10)      in respect of the Performance Scrutiny Panel, a sum equivalent to £10 per meeting be paid to each Member (this to be funded from the Housing Revenue Account); and

(11)     in respect of the proposed Housing Revenue Account Management Board:-

          a)           the principle of an allowance being paid to each Independent Member of the Board be agreed;

          b)           the principle of a Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chair of the Board be agreed;

          c)           the exact amounts for these allowances be considered and agreed by the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances, once the position of the Management Board within the Council’s governance arrangements is agreed; and

          d)           any payments made as a consequence of (a) and (b) above be funded from the Housing Revenue Account.

(In accordance with Standing Order No. 43, Councillor Leadbetter requested that his abstention from voting be recorded)