Reform councillors question allowance increase

Reform’s leader in Powys says his group will use a rise in councillors’ salaries to ‘benefit residents in their wards’.

The group voted symbolically against a rise in salaries in a show of hands in the council chamber last week, but it was passed by a majority. The salary rate is set by an external body and councillors are not able to reject it.

After last Thursday’s council annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, May 15, Reform UK’s group leader at the council, Cllr Iain McIntosh took to social media to highlight his group’s opposition to the rise.

Councils are not allowed to reject the recommendations by law; however individual councillors may give up all or part of the payment.

Cllr McIntosh said: “Those of us at Reform UK don’t think it’s appropriate for members of the public to be paying more money at the moment particularly with the sub-standard state of public services in Powys.

“So, the four of us voted against this, unfortunately this isn’t going to be recorded as they took a vote by a show of hands.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked Cllr McIntosh to further explain his decision to take to Facebook to highlight the issue.

He said: “As far as I can remember, since being elected as a county councillor on June  22, 2017, this particular vote which comes around at each year’s AGM has been carried out electronically with a recorded vote.

“This year, only a show of hands was asked for within the chamber, with many members attending the meeting online.

“If, as I expect, a news article is produced to say that the majority of members voted to approve the recommendation that we receive a higher rate of pay, the public would be unable to see who voted against.

“For matters like this, it’s important to maintain transparency.”

Cllr McIntosh was also asked whether he or the group would give up part of their salary.

Cllr McIntosh replied:  “I have forgone salary increases in the past.

“On this occasion I will be taking the pay increase, but together with my colleagues, we’ll be using if for the benefit of residents in our wards.”

He said that details on this would be released in “due course”.

At the meeting, the report was presented by the council’s director of corporate services and s151 officer Jane Thomas who told councillors that their basic pay will go up by £1,105, taking the basic salary to £19,771, “effective from April 1.”

She recommended councillors approve the new rates of pay.

Newly installed council chairman, Cllr William Powell (Liberal Democrat) took a vote by show of hands, and declared it carried by a “substantial majority”.

A council spokesman said:  “The chair of council (Cllr William Powell) and the monitoring officer (and head of legal services – Clive Pinney) were satisfied that there was a clear majority in favour and, as such, the decision has been properly made.”

“If Cllr McIntosh had wanted his group’s objections to the recommendation to be recorded, he could have and should have, asked either for an electronic vote or called for the votes of dissenters to be recorded.”

The spokesman added: “Cllr McIntosh elected to forego part of his basic salary for 2019/20 and 2020/21.”