THE workload of councillors at Warrington has been under-estimated for a number of years – according to the councillors themselves.
A working group of councillors set up to review the way council members’ pay is calculated is recommending changes.
Councillors’ allowances are recommended by an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) appointed by the council – although the final decision is made by the council itself..
In May last year, the IRP, decided that the average time spent per week on council business by a backbench councillor should be estimated at 15 hours. They based their findings on a survey carried out in 2006.
But last November, another survey was carried out. All 30 backbench members of the council were invited to take part, but only 13 did so. They were from all three political parties and represented nine wards.
This indicated that on average, members worked 28.64 hours per week.
The council working party is now recommending that the IRP take into account the increased average of 28.64 and a national average of 22 hours per week when it puts forward its recommendations.
In a report to the executive board, they say: “It was the view of the working group that the workload of a backbench councillor had been under-estimated for a number of years. However, it was felt that the survey undertaken in November 2008, which indicated that the average hours were 28.64 was a more accurate reflection of the time taken to be a councillor.”
In the past, the IRP has also taken into account local earnings in the Warrington area and suggested that 20 per cent of the time work by councillors should be regarded as “voluntary.”
The working party is recommending that the IRP instead use a Local Government Association daily session rate as the basis for calculating the basic allowance – but increase the amount of voluntary time to 45 per cent.
They are also suggesting that the IRP in future meet with party whips, group leaders, portfolio holders, committee chairmen and backbench members so to ensure the process is transparent.
THE workload of councillors at Warrington has been under-estimated for
a number of years - according to the councillors themselves.
Our work under-estimated – councillors
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
3 Comments
Perhaps the electorate should be asked. It could be that the few who did take part are the ones who are doing the job.
An alternative, would be to pay those that took part.
The thirteen who were selected probably upped their workload during the survey having told the other seventeen to keep out of the way.
I love the buzzword 0f the 2000s (especialy this government) “Transparency” in its intended use of the phrase and its actual use are two entirely diffrent things, we think it means to make accounts and recconings visible, MPs & councilors seem to think it means to make things “transparent” like clingfilm…we can just catch the basic shape but realy its invisible.