Appendix 20 - Member Allowances and Member Allowances Scheme

1           Basic Allowance

1.1 Every Councillor, irrespective of any particular office he or she may hold on the Council, is entitled to the same level of basic allowance. The basic allowance will be paid to Councillors as a monthly salary. It is intended to recognise the time commitment of all Councillors, including such inevitable calls on their time as meetings with officers and constituents and attendance at political group meetings.

1.2 The basic allowance also covers incidental costs incurred by Councillors such as the use of their homes, general administration, out of pocket expenses, internet and telephone expenses and travel within the city of York.

1.3 The basic allowance will be uplifted on an annual basis in line with any general salary increases payable to Council staff taking into account any views specifically expressed by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

2 Special Responsibility Allowance

2.1 In addition to the basic allowance it was agreed at Council that Councillors may receive a special responsibility allowance for any of the following additionalresponsibilities:

a) Leader of the Council

b) Deputy Leader of the Council

c) Group Leader (Main Opposition)

d) Deputy Group Leader (Group with more than ten Members)

e) Group Leader (Minority Party – minimum 4 Members)

f) Executive Member

g) Chair of Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee

h) Chair of Scrutiny Committee

i) Chair of Planning Committee A

j) Chair of  Planning Committee B

k) Chair of Licensing and Regulatory Committee

l) Chair of Audit and Governance Committee

m) Lord Mayor as Chair of Council

2.2 Should Councillors be eligible for a special responsibility allowance, this will be added to the basic allowance and shown in total on their monthly payslip. However, only one Special Responsibility Allowance is payable per Member by the Council and where a member attracts more than one Special Responsibility Allowance, only the higher Allowance will be paid.

3  Other Entitlements

Dependent Carers Allowance

3.1 Council has agreed to pay a dependent carers allowance to those Councillors/co-optees who are eligible with regard to expenditure incurred for the care of children or dependent relatives to enable a Member to carry out council functions.

3.2 The reimbursement of costs incurred will normally be at a rate of the living wage.

3.3 This rate of allowance may be exceeded in circumstances where professional care is required for children or dependent relatives with medical or other special needs.

3.4 In no circumstances will the allowance exceed the amount actually paid.

3.5 Claims for dependent carers allowance should be submitted via iTrent for approval by the Head of Democratic Governance by the date notified, and where possible should be supported by recipients.

3.6 All dependent carer allowance claims should be made within two months of the meeting attended.

Welfare Support

3.7       In recognition of the effectsof work related and personalstress related to their role, Members will be able to access, in principle, a similar level of Welfare Support to that of a City of York Council employee, where deemed appropriate in consultation with the Head of Human Resources.

Travel and Subsistence

3.8 Travel allowances are payable to Members for travel outside of the city of York in respect of approved duties. The following are to be regarded as approvedduties:

a) A meeting of a joint committee of which the Authority is a member

b) A meeting of any body to which the Council makes appointments

c) A meeting of the Local Government Association, any sub group of the Association or any body to which the Association makes appointments

d) Duties undertaken on behalf of the Authority in connection with the discharge of any function of the authority conferred by or under any enactment and empowering or requiring the Authority to inspect or authorise the inspection of premises

e) Duties undertaken on behalf of the Authority in connection with arrangements made by the Authority for the attendance of pupils at a school approved for the purposes of section 342 of the Education Act 1996

f) A meeting which has both been authorised by the Authority, a committee, or subcommittee of the Authority or a joint committee of the Authority and one or more other authorities, or a sub-committee of a joint committee and to which representatives of more than one political group have been invited (if the Authority is divided into several political groups) or to which two or more Councillors have been invited (if the authority is not divided)

g)Visits by Executive Members, Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Group Leaders on business associated with those roles

h) Attendance of Members at conferences, training courses and seminars approved in accordance with the council’s arrangements for Member development

i) Other travel approved by the appropriate officer as being reasonably necessary to further the aims of the council (excluding travel for party political or social functions)

3.9 Claims should be submitted via iTrent by the date notified, for approval by the Head of Democratic Governance. Receipts showing expenditure incurred should be retained for audit purposes.

3.10 The Council will pay or reimburse approved travel or subsistence expenses for Members in accordance with HMRC recommended rates or such other national guidance as may be applicable.

3.11 No travel allowance is payable for travel within the area of the city unless the Member has medical or other special needs requiring the use of taxis on approved duties.

3.12 When travelling by public transport preference must always be given to the cheaper fare whenever possible.

3.13 When using a Councillor’s/co-optee’s own vehicle the amount claimed for travel must not exceed the value of a 2nd class rail ticket for the same journey, where that comparison is possible.

3.14 All travel and subsistence claims should be made within two months of the meeting attended.

3.15 Tea and evening meal allowances cannot be claimed in the same evening. Tea or evening meal allowances will only be paid if absence is continuous.

Meals provided free of charge

3.16    The claim shall be reduced by an appropriate amount in respect of any meals provided free of charge by an authority or body in respect of the meal or the period to which the allowance relates, e.g. should a Councillor/co-optee attend a seminar/meeting and lunch is provided free of charge, a subsistence claim for lunch would not be acceptable.

Travel by Taxi

3.17    Councillors/co-optees may claim taxi fares provided that the journey is necessary to undertake an approved duty of the Council outside of the area of the city and where no public transport is reasonably available.

3.18     Expenses incurred on taxi travel within the area of the city will only be payable where a Member has a medical or other special need requiring the use of taxis in order to carry out approved duties.

Parking Passes and Cycle Allowances

3.19     Councillors are entitled to choose one of the following:

a) Option 1 - Councillors Parking Pass

Allows Councillors to park in most Council car parks with the exception of ‘The Shambles’, ‘Marygate’ and ‘Coppergate Centre’ within the permitted time limits of that car park.

b) Option 2 - Cycle Allowance

A monthly allowance payable to Councillors via their payslip. Councillors in receipt of this allowance are expected to use their bicycle as their usual mode of transport.

3.20     Requests for full details of current amounts payable in relation to Councillor allowances and entitlements together with any queries regarding the scheme should be directed to Democratic Services.