The leader of Lichfield District Council says he hopes a scheme which sees councillors lose part of their allowance for missing too many meetings will improve attendance.
Cllr Mike Wilcox said the measure had been introduced following a recommendation by members of the Independent Remuneration Panel.
The issue came to a head when just 13 of 47 councillors attended an meeting about social housing – a situation which the leader of the Conservative-controlled council said had been a “disappointment and embarrassment”.
The penalty scheme will mean representatives who miss more than 75% of their scheduled meetings face being docked the equivalent of a month of their annual allowances.
“As councillors we have an obligation to represent the voters of Lichfield and Burntwood,” Cllr Wilcox told LichfieldLive. “It is important to understand that it is not acceptable to regularly miss meetings.
“I’ve told members that as elected representatives we have a duty to those who vote for us. That’s why the Independent Remuneration Panel recommended last year we introduce the measures to remove a month’s worth of allowance when attendance falls below the 75% mark.”
Lichfield District Council confirmed that the basic allowance, which includes an element for IT costs, is currently £4,090 a year, meaning that if they were docked a month they would lose out on £340.83. Additional payments are made for Cabinet posts and other committee roles, although LichfieldLive understands only the basic allowance is docked if councillors fail to reach the attendance threshold.
