A cabinet member says increasing allowances at Lichfield District Council would have been “an insult” to residents who are struggling to get by during a cost of living crisis.
A meeting of the local authority saw a lengthy debate on whether to accept the proposals of an independent remuneration panel to increase payments to councillors by 10.1%.
The decision was eventually made to reject moves to take basic allowances from £4,298 a year to £4,734.
Cllr Rob Strachan, cabinet member for finance, told the meeting that now would not be an appropriate time to increase payments – and said members should look again at what the allowances are designed to be.
“There is an ongoing crisis in the cost of living.
“Some wards in this district contain some of the most deprived areas in the West Midlands and residents there are among some of the most vulnerable to changes in pricing.
“In this district 4,996 residentsaccess direct support just to pay their council tax. Foodbank usage it is at a very high rate. We also hear the £800 a year energy increase prediction may have been far too low.
“While there is a persuasive argument that we too are feeling the impact of this, I have to remind you that this is neither a salary nor a pension – it’s an allowance for costs and time spent performing a civic service.
“Excessive costs for travelling on council business can already be covered by an existing expenses scheme were members are minded to claim.”
Cllr Rob Strachan, Lichfield District Council
The comments come after former cabinet member Ashley Yeates pointed out how many meetings some councillors attend, insisting that the increase would “reflect the value we add to residents’ lives”.
Cllr Strachan said that while it was clear allowances were below figures elsewhere, the scale of the proposed increase would also be problematic. He said a staged approach to increases would have been more appropriate.
“There have long been mutterings beneath the surface that those of us here have considerably lower allowances than our comparatives at other authorities, and to see that laid out in this report has confirmed that view.
“It is not in dispute that our basic allowance has lagged behind, despite some efforts in the past to address that.
“An increase all at once would force me to amend the mid-term financial strategy – a council amending its budget on emergency notice to give its members a pay rise is not a good look.”
Cllr Rob Strachan, Lichfield District Council
“It would be an insult to our residents”
Cllr Strachan said an increase of more than 10% at this point in time would not sit well with him both as an individual and a cabinet member.
“I cannot, with my conscience, vote for this.
“I would dearly love to see allowances at this council increase to catch up with our peers, but to do so at this scale and at this time is, for me, inappropriate and morally wrong.
“It would be an insult to our residents who are struggling to get by, and it would be an insult to our officers who are restricted to 2% this year.
“It would also not be doing the right thing by this council, who should really be spending our limited and precious monies on the communities we are proud to serve and not on ourselves.
“It’s been said there’s never a good time to do it, but there’s certainly a bad time.”
Cllr Rob Strachan, Lichfield District Council
