MAJOR TOWN ISSUES

COUNCILLORS' EXPENSES - HOW MUCH ARE THEY PAID

(November 20, 2009)
TWO councillors representing Warminster seats have claimed more than £7,000 in expenses and allowances since June's elections.
Cabinet member Fleur de Rhe Phillipe, who represents Warminster villages, claimed a gross sum of £7,833.29 and received four payments to her account adding up to a net income of £6,358.
Fellow portfolio holder Keith Humphries claimed £7,105.82 and received a net sum of £5,721 in three payments.
Councillor Andrew Davies, a committee chairman, claimed £3,559.95 gross net £3,130, while Cllr Mrs Pip Rideout received £2,690 net from a claim of £3,309.77.
Chris Newbury was the only councillor not to claim any travel expenses but he claimed £3.814.08 receiving £3,473.99 - after an allowance for being Independent group leader was included.
Former district councillor Paul Macdonald was genuinely shocked at the scale of the payments made since the election.
"I would have been quite happy to have done the job in my spare time and only received petrol expenses," he said.
"That seven grand in three and a half months is much more than I got for four years representing local people as their community politics councillor," added Paul Macdonald
Steve Dancey added: "The huge sums being given out to councillors, especially those with portfolios, will not go down well with everyone struggling to pay their 150 pounds  a month council tax bills.
"It is a complex issue, however, as there is a genuine need to ensure that people's circumstances do not stop them from seeking election yet at the same time we do not want to simply attract those who are 'in it for the money'.
"I think the real failure of local government at the present time is the cabinet and leader system which is behind some of these huge payments.
"Hopefully a new government will return us to a more sensible system in which all members can have a say and feel valued.
"Certainly if I had been elected in June and had had to give up two days a week in employment I would not have benefited financially because of the loss of income and pension entitlement. But had I  been a retired person I would have been hugely and doubly advantaged as over 65s do not pay national insurance as well as receiving private and state pensions.
"We need to ensure local government is much more open to younger people who are in employment, particularly in the private sector, if it is to become more representative and relevant.
"Wiltshire Council still has some way to go but I would suggest that they be very careful before deciding to have their allowances 'reviewed' by an independent assessment."
It should also be noted that most councillors also sit on town or parish councils where there is no payment for membership.
* The financial information was provided following a Freedom of Information Act request to County Hall. A reply is still awaited from the Fire and Rescue Authority at Potterne.

AT the unitary council election we made the pledge that if we were elected we were to declare our income from the council every month in a attempt to secure greater accountability and openness.

We also said that should we be unsuccessful we would ensure that all payments made from the public purse to those elected would be sought and published on this site every quarter.

We intend to honour this pledge.

 On 1 October the following letter will be sent to County Hall, the police authority, fire authority and housing associations to find out just how much money is being paid out to the people you elected on 4 June.

To the information officer,

This is a request made under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which came into force on 1 January 2005.

I would like to be provided with an account of how much money the following councillors have each been paid since their election to Wiltshire Council on 4 June.

Cllrs, Keith Humphries, Fleur de Rhe Philipe, Pip Ridout, Andrew Davis and Christopher Newbury.

I would like to know the exact figure paid in terms of basic allowance, special responsibility allowances, travelling and subsistence allowance and the amount each was paid in total each month.

I would also like any expenses payment greater in value than £50 individually itemised.

This information will be required on a quarterly basis in future.

I look forward to your reply within 20 working days.

Yours faithfully,

VFW

The council can only refuse to comply with such a request if it will cost more than £450 in administrative work or if the request is ‘frivolous or vexatious’.
 
Such information should be easily obtainable.

If they were to refuse it is possible to firstly appeal to the council and failing that to the UK information commissioner, once the commissioner makes his views known the council must comply within 20days and failure to do so is a criminal offence.

“When the act first came into force there was some suggestion that difficult councils might try to use the Data Protection Act to try to keep details of the council gravy train secret,” said Steve Dancey.

“However the information commissioner, following the case of Evening Telegraph v Corby Council, has ruled this defence offside so councils must divulge all of these details.

“It is quite clearly a matter of public interest and in the public interest that such information is available and widely disseminated.
 
"There is no suggestion that any of our councillors has acted improperly in any way."

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