Sheffield City Councill must save £60 million.

[apelike 10]

What is the rate of pay for councillors then?

 

They don't receive a rate of pay but get a basic allowance as they are not professionals. On top of that they also get expenses and can also get a special responsibility allowances for cabinet members and committee chairs.

 

Rounded figures:

About £12,000 for a standard councillor and on top of that the usual expenses.

Special responsibility allowance of + £9,000 is awarded for cabinet members and chairs.

The leader also gets a bonus of + £18,000.

 

So our beloved leader would be raking in nearly £30,000 + expenses and her cabinet members £20,000 + expenses.

 

SCC have though frozen the recommended 40% hike which was recommended in 2013.

[No User Name 10]

So not "highly paid" then, cheers for confirming

[Celtic Knot 10]

Cut executives pay. Employ people to catch and fine people who drop litter or let their dog mess on the pavement. Generate electricity from renewable energy by installing solar power in schools and on council houses. However this is not going to find the massive amounts needed. The "easy fruit" has already been picked and the Council are going to have to make some very difficult decisions. They should avoid cutting Social Care as lives will be at stake if this is cut further.

[jgharston 11]

9.1million a year on 84 councillors Sheffield basic rate

 

84 times £12,000 is ONE million not nine million. Add on about £300,000 for SRAs, that's ONE AND A THIRD million, ***NOT*** twelve million. (see here)

 

Sheffield already has the second largest number of electors per councillor in the entire country, second only to Birmingham, and you want to make it even worse? Why don't you just come out and state plainly that you want to see elected public office forced into the hands of rich well-funded party machines.

 

On top of that they also get expenses

 

And councillors don't get the expenses, the taxi driver/bus company/baby sitter/train company/whatever raised the expense gets the expenses.

 

SCC have though frozen the recommended 40% hike which was recommended in 2013.

 

Which just means that at the next pay review the review panel will say "you've been frozen for nine years, you need a 45% increase" and the council will say "no", and at the next pay review the review panel will say "you've been frozen for 12 years, you now need a 55% increase" and the council will say "no", and at the next review, etc. etc. etc. as the council repeatedly machine-guns itself in the foot.

 

And isn't the proportion of income in the region of 50/50 split from central government versus local council tax?

 

Nope. 15% from local council tax, 85% from central government funding.

Edited January 14, 2015 by jgharston

[apelike 10]

jgharston

 

You are almost right about the expenses bit. Councillors do claim and get reimbursed for expenses and its the taxpayer that pays for that privilege.

 

Regarding elected public office local councillors. They should be all be elected on a neutral basis and not a political one. Central government are the ones who make the rules and all local councils have to abide by them despite their political status. It would be better to reform the House Of Lords and have one elected member from each local government area in it. That way local areas can be better represented and have an input.

 

Politics should be the realm of the countries elected government.

[Astonblade 10]

They could start by collecting the £31M in unpaid council tax.

 

jb

 

Better still, why don't those who owe this £31M Council Tax just pay it???

[Penistone999 10]

council tax up next year folks .

 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-council-tax-will-increase-next-year-to-meet-63m-budget-cuts-1-7050900

[Cyclone 10]

jgharston

 

You are almost right about the expenses bit. Councillors do claim and get reimbursed for expenses and its the taxpayer that pays for that privilege.

 

Regarding elected public office local councillors. They should be all be elected on a neutral basis and not a political one. Central government are the ones who make the rules and all local councils have to abide by them despite their political status. It would be better to reform the House Of Lords and have one elected member from each local government area in it. That way local areas can be better represented and have an input.

 

Politics should be the realm of the countries elected government.

 

The "privilege" of not paying for their own expenses incurred doing their job???

[No User Name 10]

Better still, why don't those who owe this £31M Council Tax just pay it???

 

They will pay it and then get into 31m worth more of debt because they can't afford to pay the next lot, it won't solve the problem at all. Factor in the money it costs to collect this money and it isn't really a solution to any councils deficit.

[Grayham 10]

I'm a business analyst and it can pay in the long run for companies and councils to hire us. Yes we are well paid but the savings you make from having an outsider look at your business can be massive I have seen companies reduce costs by 7% yoy without having to reduce staff or sell off buildings most companies seem to not be able to grasp the basic concept of knowing the true value of each employee and how the money they make or cost is very relative.

Now I love Sheffield and if someone can give me some details of who to contact I would happily give them a day or two of my time to show them some ways of looking at their business.

[annbaker 10]

I'm a business analyst and it can pay in the long run for companies and councils to hire us. Yes we are well paid but the savings you make from having an outsider look at your business can be massive I have seen companies reduce costs by 7% yoy without having to reduce staff or sell off buildings most companies seem to not be able to grasp the basic concept of knowing the true value of each employee and how the money they make or cost is very relative.

Now I love Sheffield and if someone can give me some details of who to contact I would happily give them a day or two of my time to show them some ways of looking at their business.

 

For free Grayham? Govt dept have their own business analysts as do councils so they shouldn't need to go outside and pay consultancy rates. as one who works for a Govt dept who has seen consultants comes and go I do know what am talking about here. My own experience is they have added very little value at all for astronomical costs.

 

Having someone at over £1,000 a day asking you for something, you give them it and then they spend 3 days (yes 3 days) changing some logos on a set of Powerpoint slides and charging 3 days at over £1,000 a day for the privilege to teach us something we knew far more about than he did is just one example. This is one of the many reasons why there is a cap on engaging consultants across govt.

[Grayham 10]

For free Grayham? Govt dept have their own business analysts as do councils so they shouldn't need to go outside and pay consultancy rates. as one who works for a Govt dept who has seen consultants comes and go I do know what am talking about here. My own experience is they have added very little value at all for astronomical costs.

 

Having someone at over £1,000 a day asking you for something, you give them it and then they spend 3 days (yes 3 days) changing some logos on a set of Powerpoint slides and charging 3 days at over £1,000 a day for the privilege to teach us something we knew far more about than he did is just one example. This is one of the many reasons why there is a cap on engaging consultants across govt.

 

Yes for free I said I would give my time. I love this city and would gladly help.

And j agree some consultants do add little value but in my experience this is often down to whoever they are working for not listening. Also 1000 a day is very very expensive a very good consultant can be found for half that maybe a little more with expenses, if they have analysts it may be a case of refocusing them, try to get some people from there to watch moneyball