An interesting Agenda Item for next Thursday's Council Meeting is up for consideration. In mind of the Parliamentary Expenses saga, I wonder what Cllrs will decide?
Harvey Patterson, TDC's Monitoring Officer is making some proposals on how Democratic Services (Cllrs Allowances and costs) could be pruned for 2010/2011. Here are areas he has suggested that savings of £20,000 + could be made and has identified a potential saving of £54, 673:
1, Reduce Cllrs Basic Allowance to £4,000. ( An 8% cut saves £20,160)
2. Slim Cabinet by 2 members (Who would they be?) (Saves £15,980)
3. Reduce Special Responsibility Allowance for: a. Chair of Scrutiny (Saves £2,786)
b. Vice Chair of Scrutiny (Saves £2,000)
c. All Vice Chairs (Saves £3,237)
4. Reduce Conference Budget ( already underspent but saves £3,060)5. Cabinet members to pay for own Blackberries from their allowance (Saves £5,200)
6. Finish meetings by 8.00pm and save Security wages. ( Saves £2, 250)
Mr Patterson, asks Council to indicate its own preferences for where savings should be made but recommends these options to Cllrs:
1. Reduce Cabinet by ONE member. (Saving £7,990)
2. Reduce Scrutiny SRA's (Saves £4,786)
3. Remove Vice Chair SRAs (Saves £3,237)
4. Delete Cabinet 'Blackberry' budget ( Saves £5,200).
His recommendations then save £24,273.
Of the area of 'potential savings', I am concerned that meetings may need to go on longer for Cllrs and the public as earlier start times to achieve an early finish may not suit Cllrs or the public and that £2,250 should not be saved.
As far as the rest are concerned, all possible areas should be opted for and instead of saving a measly £24,000 odd, our Cllrs should go for a figure of £52,000! What will they decide I wonder?
4 comments:
Any real savings will have to come from reducing the numbers of senior staff. The number of TDC directors seems to have increased just as problems with the budget are increasing, is there a correlation that needs investigating.
they could save £80,000 by cancelling the night flights consultation
Has anyone ever checked how many of the low lifes actually work for a living? Looking at their pictures on the website it seems that most are in or nearing their dotage. A representative sample of old duffers is OK, but not the whole gang supplementing their pension with a bung from the council surely?
Arrrrr
All this ere talk of correlation has me and the crew looking at our fo'c's'le and directing our attention to who is going to be directed down the plank. Talking of planks and short boards, the Pirates have heard that one or two brains are missing at the old brick vessel moored at Meregate.
Cpt Havoc (formerly known as Bollocky bill) OBE Rtd
Taking the P**s and waters in Tenet since the great Pugilist match at the Meregate Gardens.
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