Agenda and minutes

            Members and Officers are reminded to make any declarations of pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests that they may have in relation to items on this agenda and are reminded that they should re-declare their interest before consideration of the item or as soon as the interest becomes apparent.

            Members and officer should make their declaration by stating :

a) the application they have the interest in

b) whether it is a pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial

c) the nature of the interest

d) if it is a prejudicial or pecuniary interest, whether they will be exercising their right to speak to the application

In view of the nature of the issues to be discussed in respect of Agenda Item 6 (The Independent Remuneration Panel’s Eighth Review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme) it was recognised that all Members of the Committee had a personal interest in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.  This did not preclude them from considering the proposals.

To approve as a correct record of the Minutes of the meeting of the Audit & Governance Committee held on 14 February 2019.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2019 were approved by the Committee as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is requested to consider start times for meetings during 2019/20

The Committee

RESOLVED

That its start times for meetings during 2019/2020 be 6.00 pm.

To consider the revised report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on its eighth review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

            The Chairman welcomed the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) to the meeting and invited the Chairman of the Panel, John Thompson, to present the Panel’s Eighth Review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme. 

            The Committee Services Manager provided an introduction to her covering report, explaining that the IRP review was originally brought before the Committee at is meeting held on 14 February 19. However, at that meeting the Panel was asked to complete further work on recommendations 8 9 & 20. The covering report highlighted the concerns raised at that meeting and provided an overview of the associated financial implications.

            Mr Thompson highlighted the main points of change since the 14 February 2019 and that the review had been updated following the District Council Elections.

            The main points highlighted were;

§  The report was evidenced based following interviews with Councillors, direct comparisons with other Local Authorities (LA’s) and comparative data provided by South East Employers.

§  Recommendations were broadly cost neutral.

§  The annual increase in Basic Allowance had been linked to Officer’s pay increases

§  The proposal to remove the I.T Allowance in view of the introduction of ModernGov and the supply of iPads to Members.

§  The Panel believed the Leader’s SRA needed to be set at a level that would attract good candidates to apply for consideration in the future, regardless of any private income

§  All SRA’s had been calculated based on the post and not the person and the Committee was reminded that they could renounce all or part of any allowance.

            The Chairman proposed to take each recommendation in turn to allow full debate.  This approach was agreed by the Committee.

Recommendation (1) – The Basic Allowance remain unchanged at £5,481 per year taking into account the April 2019 increase:

Recommendation accepted by the Committee.

Recommendation (2) – The Basic Allowance continues to be increased inline with Officer’s pay increases:

Recommendation accepted by the Committee.

Recommendation (3) – The Special Responsibility Allowance Payable to the Leader of the Council be increased by £1,804 from £14,196 to £16,122 and there is no change in the Special Responsibility Allowance paid to the Deputy Leader of the Council at £10,400:

                        The Committee considered this recommendation in two parts, firstly in respect of the SRA to be paid to the Leader of the Council and the Panels proposals to increase this by £1,804 from £14,196 to £16,122 views were presented for and against this proposal. Some members of the Committee argued that it was not an appropriate time to be considering any increases to allowances others spoke in support of the increase in view of the full-time nature of the Leader of the Council’s role.

            Having taken a vote on the recommendation the Panels proposal to increase the SRA for the Leader of the Council was rejected and so the SRA to be paid to the Leader of the Council would remain at £14,196.

            Turning the SRA to be paid to the Deputy Leader of the Council the Committee were in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Report to be presented by Councillor Chapman as outgoing Chairman.

The Committee received the Chairman’s Annual Report to the Council for 2018/19 and having supported its contents,

RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL

That the Chairman’s Annual Report for 2018/19 be approved.

            Councillor Brooks gave his thanks on behalf of the previous Committee Members to Councillor Chapman and Mrs Oakley the previous Chairman and Vice Chairman for their hard work and commitment to the Committee over the last year.

As required by the Council’s Constitution, the Internal Audit Manager will ask the Committee to note that no activity was authorised / undertaken under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2010 (as amended) in 2018/19. The Committee will receive this update verbally.

As required by the Council’s Constitution, the Committee noted that no activity had been authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2010 in the 2018/19 financial year.

The Internal Auditor will provide a verbal update to the Committee with the future plans for the coming year. 

The Committee received a draft work plan for 2019/2020 from the Internal Manager which Members were asked to approve.

The Committee

RESOLVED

That the Committee’s future work plan for 2019/2020 be approved.