MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

COUNCIL

14 DECEMBER 2011

REPORT of the STANDARDS COMMITTEE held on

30 NOVEMBER 2011

1.      MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES SCHEME

1.1.   The Standards Committee, at its meeting held on 30 November 2011, considered the report of the Head of Democratic Services setting out the report and recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances for Maidstone Borough Council which had met to carry out a comprehensive review of the existing scheme of Members’ Allowances.

1.2.   It was noted that the recommendation of the Panel that the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be reduced to £4,665 per annum each would produce a saving in the Members’ Allowances budget of £3,498.  The recommendation of the Panel relating to car mileage allowances would not have a significant impact, and could be met within existing budgets.

1.3.   In response to questions by Members and Co-opted Members, the representative of the Head of Democratic Services confirmed that:-

• The table set out in the summary of Panel recommendations should have included reference to the allowances paid to the Chairman of the Licensing Act 2003 Committee and Co-opted Members of the Standards Committee, which it was proposed should remain the same.

• Councillors and Co-opted Members would continue to be able to claim an additional 5p per mile if passengers travelled in their vehicles.

• It was the Panel’s recommendation that allowances should continue to be index linked to the annual pay award to staff.

• No change was proposed to Members’ Basic Allowance.

1.4.   The report of the Panel has been amended to take into account the points raised by the Standards Committee, and a copy is attached as an Appendix to this report.

1.5.   RECOMMENDED: 

1.5.1.That the recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances for Maidstone Borough Council, as set out in the report attached as an Appendix to this report, be approved.