Close on 60% rise proposed for Leader of Worthing Borough Council

In a report to be considered this Thursday is a proposal to raise the allowance for Worthing Borough Council (WBC) Leader Paul Yallop by close on 60%.  The proposal comes when Worthing Borough Council staff are expected to accept a zero rate increase in view of central government cut backs.

Any increase accepted by the Leader in these dire economic times would be an affront to those hard working staff and residents. The size of this increase makes a total mockery of the mantra “we are all in it together.”

The report by the Independent Remuneration Panel is to be presented to the Adur & Worthing Joint Governance & Audit Committee on Thursday.

The Independent Remuneration Committee is charged each year to review allowances for all councillors and make recommendations.

The three members of the panel are neither WBC officers nor councillors.

Mr Yallop’s current allowance as stated on Worthing Borough’s website is £11,364 which comprises of the basic allowance all councillors receive of £3,897 plus a special responsibility allowance (SRA) of £7,467.

Option One in the report proposes an increase in the basic allowance to £4,000, an increase to the Leader’s

(SRA) to £10,000 and an increase to a Cabinet Member’s (SRA) to £4,000 giving a grand total of £18,000 or a 58.39% increase.

Option Two is less generous with no increase to the basic allowance, an increase to the Leader’s (SRA) to £9,742.50 and an increase to a Cabinet Member’s (SRA) to £3,897 or a 54.32% increase.

Last year it would appear Mr Yallop waived the Cabinet Member’s (SRA) but the report schedule does state all six cabinet members are entitled to receive the allowance. Waiving that allowance this year would still produce an increase of 23.2% in Option One and 20.02% increase in Option Two.

Leader of Worthing Borough Council Lib Dem Group Alan Rice said:

“I do believe all councillors deserve an increase including the Leader when the time is right but that time is not now.  It is outrageous to even consider such a huge increase when council staff are expected to have a zero increase and cuts are being made to the services provided to residents.

We will argue for zero change to allowances this year but we will also argue for the special responsibility allowance for policy advisors to be dropped.

This is just a sop to Tory ‘boys and girls’ If we really believe we are all in it together let’s prove it. After all we are not casino bankers.”

Please find attached the agenda for the Joint Governance & Audit Committee scheduled on 14.06.2012.

The full agenda and reports are available to view on the link below:

http://www.adur.gov.uk/committee/cab-docs-joint-governance-and-audit.htm