The Monitoring Officer reported on the determinations and recommendations contained within the February 2017 Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales in respect of the level and range of remuneration the Authority must make available to its Members for the 2017/18 municipal year.

 

The purpose of the report was to seek :

 

• The adoption of the relevant determinations of the Independent Remuneration Panel contained within its February 2017 report
• Determination of those posts that would receive a senior/civic salary.
• Council’s determination of the level of remuneration for the Senior and Civic Salaries.
• Approval of the revised Members’ Schedule of Remuneration at Appendix 2, which would become effective from 17 May 2017 (Annual Meeting of Council).
• Approval that the Members’ Schedule of Remuneration be automatically updated with any changes to remuneration subsequently made by Council during the 2017/18 municipal year.

 

The Local Authorities (Allowances for Members) (Wales) Regulations 2007 provided for the establishment of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.

 

The Panel had not changed its previous decisions in respect of the senior salaries paid to these Senior Salary Post holders.  The Senior Salaries were inclusive of the Basic Salary.  The senior salary posts did not receive an increase of salary but the increase in Basic Salary had been reflected in the total senior salary.

 

The Salary for the Leader and Deputy Leader had been based on the population of the County Borough (100,000 – 200,000).  The Leader could receive £48,100 and the Deputy Leader £33,600.

 

Many Council’s operated with a Cabinet of 10, the statutory maximum, others chose to have smaller Cabinets and therefore the range of individual portfolios was much greater. The Panel concluded that this differing range of portfolios should be reflected in the remuneration framework. It was not the role of the Panel to determine the structure of Cabinets of local authorities.  Each newly elected council was able to determine the remuneration based on the level of responsibility and workload.

 

Cabinet members could be paid at either of the two following senior salary levels:

·         Level 1 - £29,100

·         Level 2 - £26,200

 

Previously if there were less than 8 Cabinet Members the workload and responsibility would warrant them being paid at the Level 1 salary.  Bridgend had historically had 4 or 5 Cabinet Members in addition to the Leader and Deputy Leader

 

Where chairs of committees were remunerated, there were two levels of remuneration available: 

 

·         Level 1 chairs would be paid a salary of £22,100

·         Level 2 chairs would be paid a salary of £20,100

 

The Panel determined that it was a matter for individual authorities to determine which chairs were paid and at what level, to reflect the appropriate responsibility attached to the specific post.  In previous years the follow Committee Chairpersons had been remunerated at the levels shown:

 

·         Level 1 Senior Salary

 

                Appeals Panel

                Audit Committee

                Development Control Committee

                Licensing/Act 2003 Committee

                Scrutiny Committee

 

·         An Independent Member chaired the Standards Committee and received £256 for a meeting lasting over 4 hours or £128 for meeting under 4 Hours

 

·         The following Committees were chaired by members who were already in receipt of a Senior/Civic salary and therefore did not receive any further remuneration

 

·         Council

·         Appointments Committee

·         Town & Community Council Forum

·         Right of Way Sub-Committee

·         The Democratic Services Committee Chairperson was not remunerated in the previous administration.

 

The Panel previously determined that Council make a senior salary available to the leader of the largest opposition group who represented at least 10% (6 Members) of the Council before qualifying for a senior salary. 

 

A senior salary was available to any another group leader who represented at least 10% (6 Members) of the Council.

 

The Panel had prescribed that Bridgend could not remunerate more than 18 Senior Salaries posts. The Panel determined that senior salary levels in 2017/18 for members of principal councils should be as set out in the report, Determination 2.

 

The Panel determined that civic salaries could be paid and that the level of remuneration should be decided by Councils after taking into account the anticipated workloads and responsibilities of the roles.

 

Level	Mayor	Deputy Mayor
Level 1	£24,100	£18,100
Level 2	£21,600	£16,100
Level 3	£19,100	£14,100

 

The current Mayor and Deputy Mayor received Level 2 Civic Salaries and Council was requested to approve the continuation of this level of remuneration for the 2017-18 municipal year.

 

Determination 17 made by the Panel enabled all Councillors in the Authority to join the Local Government Pension Scheme if they so wished.

 

The Panel determined that an Elected Member was entitled to retain a basic salary when taking family absence under The Family Absence for Members of Local Authorities (Wales) Regulations 2013 irrespective of the attendance record immediately preceding the commencement of the family absence. When a senior salary holder was eligible for family absence, he/she would continue to receive the salary for the duration of the absence. It was then a matter for the Authority to decide whether or not to make a substitute appointment. The Elected Member substituting for a senior salary holder taking family absence would be eligible to be paid a senior salary, if the Authority so decided. The Regulations applied to Elected Members in cases of maternity, new born, adoption and parental absences from official business.

 

Cabinet would be appointing 2 members to the South Wales FRA.  Any Leader or Cabinet Member appointed to the FRA would not receive any additional salary from the FRA.  The FRA was responsible for remunerating its representatives and publishing the details of any payments that they made.

 

The Authority currently had the following Co-optees with voting rights:

• Chair of the Standards Committee
• 3 Independent Members of Standards Committee
• 2 Town and Community Council Co-optees on the Standards Committee
• 5 Registered representatives (Church and School Governors)
• 1 Lay-person appointed to the Audit Committee

 

All authorities provided for the reimbursement of necessary costs for the care of dependent children and adults (provided by informal or formal carers) and for personal assistance needs up to a maximum of £403 per month. Reimbursement would only be made on production of receipts from the carer

 

The Family Absence for Members of Local Authorities (Wales) Regulations 2013 were very specific relating to entitlement and only available for Elected Members of principal councils. Absence for reasons of ill-health was not included.  Instances had been raised with the Panel of senior salary holders on long term sickness and the perceived unfairness in comparison with the arrangements for family absence. In consequence, councils were faced with the dilemma of:

·         Operating without the individual member but still paying him/her the senior salary.

·         Replacing the member who therefore loses the senior salary (but retains the basic salary).

 

The Panel determined that there would be no change to the mileage rates for which members were entitled to claim.

 

Although Council was unable to change the prescribed level of remuneration determined by the Panel, individual members were permitted to independently and voluntarily forego all or any element of remuneration to which they were entitled by writing to the Authority’s Proper Officer.

 

The current budget set for 2017/18 for the remuneration of elected members was £1,104,140.

 

RESOLVED:             (1)    That Council noted the determinations and recommendations contained within the February 2017 Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales in respect of the level and range of remuneration the Authority must pay its Members for 2017/18 municipal year as shown in Appendix1.

 

                                 (2)      That Council:

 

·              approved the adoption of the relevant determinations of the Independent Remuneration Panel contained within its February 2017 report

 

·              accepted those posts (as shown in the revised Members’ Schedule of Remuneration at Appendix 2), who will receive a senior/civic salary.

 

·              approved the level of remuneration for the Senior and Civic Salaries (where appropriate).

 

·              approved the revised Members’ Schedule of Remuneration at Appendix 2, and for it to become effective from 17May 2017 (Annual Meeting of Council).

 

approved the Members’ Schedule of Remuneration be automatically updated with any changes to Senior/Civic Salary positions subsequently made by Council during the 2017/18 municipal year.