North Yorkshire’s Ukip county councillors have condemned proposals to give the 72 elected members of the cash-strapped authority a pay rise!
At this Wednesday’s meeting of the Full council, councillors will be asked to vote on a recommendation to increase allowances by one per cent – at the same time as slashing bus subsidies by £2 million.
During the meeting, the members will also be asked to approve a 1.9 per cent increase in council tax! This is on top of a rise in the precept of both the police and fire authority.
Last October, Couns David Simister (Harrogate, Bilton & Nidd Gorge) and Sam Cross (Filey) wrote to the authority’s independent remuneration panel, proposing a reduction of the basic allowance by £1,000 a year and the scrapping of others.
County Coun Simister said: I find it obscene that in the same meeting when we are asking the tax payer to foot a rise in council tax, cut bus subsidies and reduce support given to those with learning disabilities, we are going to award ourselves a pay rise.
I know this will be greeted with disgust by the tax payers of this county, many of whom have seen a reduction in their own standards of living over the last few years.
I will certainly not be voting for this proposal. Its timing is a disgrace.
County Coun Cross said: Last October, we submitted a raft of proposals that would have saved the tax payer in excess of £100,000 a year.
It is very clear these were never considered and, instead, if this goes through, we are going to be an even bigger burden on the authority’s coffers.
I wonder how many other councillors will have the courage of their conviction and vote with us against this increase?
