Within hours of appointing her Cabinet, acting Leader of Kirklees Council, Councillor Cathy Scott, has identified a need to reduce spending on allowances paid to councillors.
With councils facing a challenging financial climate, Cllr Scott has kicked off a formal process which aims to reduce the total cost of councillor allowances by at least £100,000 per year. A formal report will be brought to September’s Council Meeting to begin the process.
In the meantime, Councillor Scott has agreed to take an immediate 10% cut to her allowance as Leader until a new system is implemented. The council’s nine other Cabinet members have agreed to a 5% reduction in their Cabinet allowance.
All councillors receive a basic allowance of £15,080 each year with extra payments for councillors with additional responsibilities.
Councillor Scott said: “In this tough financial climate, I believe that councillors need to take their fair share of the burden and show that we understand the difficult challenges families across our area are facing in the cost of living crisis.
“I have asked council officers to start a formal review of councillors’ allowances, with a view to making savings of at least £100,000 on the current annual cost. Every penny we can save frees up funding for vital local services which we want to protect.
“Councillors from all parties play an important role in communities across Kirklees. But, in difficult times, it’s important for us to show that we are putting the interests of the public above our own, stepping up to the challenges that we face, and that we are on the side of hardworking families across Kirklees.
“That is exactly what this new leadership intends to do.”
