Shropshire Star

Shropshire Council leader defends councillors' £11,500 alllowances

The leader of Shropshire Council has defended a move that would see councillors allowances frozen in the coming financial year.

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Malcolm Pate hit back at suggestions that the allowances were a "gravy train" and said for many it had become a full-time job.

He said he wanted to see more young people stand for the council and said cutting allowances would make it impossible for them to consider the role.

A report going to tomorrow's full meeting of Shropshire Council, recommends allowances remaining unchanged for the coming financial year.

That would mean the council's 74 elected members will each receive a basic allowance of £11,514, with special responsibility allowances paid to the leader Malcolm Pate, his deputy Steve Charmley, cabinet members, chairs of special committees and opposition group leaders – 24 councillors in all.

These range from £5,757 extra to an extra £23,000 for Councillor Pate.

Green Party Councillor Duncan Kerr who has described the special allowances as a "gravy train for the selected few" has again called on the authority to reduce the amount it pays in councillor allowances.

"If we saw a 10 per cent reduction that would save around £100,000," he said.

Councillor Pate said that the responsibility and work involved in being a Shropshire councillor was completely different today than it was 20 years ago.

"There was a time when a councillor would simply be asked to turn up to a few meetings a year," he said.

"Nowadays councillors have to devote hours and hours a week to their role. Councillors have a much greater role in the running of the council, even to the extent of hiring and firing," he added.

The leader said that for those with special responsibilities it could be a full-time job.

"For some of the positions the councillors have the same role as a business executive yet do not received anything like the same remuneration. I was only able to take on the role of leader because I ran a very successful business in the past," he said.

"I want to see more young people stand for the council, it is very important that we get some younger councillors on board. But they would struggle to hold down a full-time job and be a councillors. We simply would not attract people without the allowances."

A decision will be made on the allowances and the council's financial strategy at the meeting at Shirehall on Thursday.

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