Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Defending decision
Herne and Sturry county councillor Alan Marsh hung up the phone after being put on the spot over the allowance hike.
Mr Marsh, who lives in a five-bedroom detached house in Wraik Hill, Seasalter, where average property prices are close to £1 million, was among the seven local Conservatives who voted to give themselves a rise.
He claimed inquiries about the decision should be directed to group leader Paul Carter before ending the call.
Graham Gibbens represents Canterbury City North and is the cabinet member for adult social care, meaning his annual pay has just gone up £6,025.
Many attempts to speak to him proved futile this week, with our reporter repeatedly told he was busy before receiving an email from a member of council staff saying leader Paul Carter would be speaking on the issue. Cllr Carter never called.
Among the councillors who did defend their vote was newly elected Herne Bay East member Andrew Cook, who is also a city councillor for the coastal town.
He said: “I will stand in a room with anybody and support and justify it.
“I certainly wouldn’t have taken the decision if I didn’t think it was valid – and I think it is really valid.
“If people don’t want me to do it because they think I have taken advantage, they can vote me out next time and vote someone in who they think is better.”
Cllr Cook says he closed his car sales business down after becoming a city councillor in 2011.
“Being a councillor is very involved. It’s a full-time job if you give it everything you have. I appreciate that all councillors are different and some of us work like maniacs.
“If you want to get good people in, you have to be able to make sure they can survive.”
Cllr Ian Thomas also claims the increase is justified.
The 68-year-old, who lives in Swalecliffe and has been a Canterbury city councillor since 1997, has been the county councillor for Whitstable East and Herne Bay West division since the May 4 election.
He said: “In 2008, the councillors voted themselves a reduction of 5% or 6% and there have been no increases since then – while public sector pay has been going up every year.
“I’m retired now and I don’t struggle, but there’s a lot of work involved.
“I was at Maidstone five times last week and often it’s not something someone younger and in full-time employment can do, especially if they face losing work to do it.
“Yes, I own property which I rent out, but that’s effectively my pension.
“The increase amounts to £125 per month after tax.
“This is money that I will be taking, but giving to a charity which arranges for mobile chemotherapy treatments to cancer patients.”
Retired teacher Michael Northey, 72, was elected to the county council for Canterbury south east in 2005.
As a deputy cabinet member for children, young people and education, his allowances have gone up by almost £4,000 a year.
But he believes the 15% pay rise is justified because the remuneration has been frozen since 2008.
He said: “Effectively, we’ve had a pay cut and this is just playing catch up while council staff have had an increase of around 18.5% in their salaries over the same period.
“I understand it doesn’t look good and has caused a backlash, but there is never a good time.
“Being a county councillor, especially with portfolio responsibility, is pretty much a full-time job and we do a lot of hours, also in the evenings and at weekends.
“You just couldn’t do it while you had another full time job because the workload is extensive. This week, for example, I will be on council business on four nights.
“This rise is a one-off just to bring us up to where we should be.
“We also voted that, from now on, the decision on increases in allowances will no longer be in the hands of councillors, but pegged to the same percentage increases awarded to officers.”
Graham Gibbens represents Canterbury City North and is the cabinet member for adult social care.
The 69-year-old said: “My role is effectively a full-time job and we have got to be able to attract new councillors with an allowance which enables them to fulfil roles such as adult social care.
“It involves a lot of work and it involves a lot of time in the evenings.
“There has been no increase in allowances since we took a 5.4% cut eight years ago.”
John Simmonds, 81, represents Canterbury North and is the cabinet member for finance. He said: “This was very much a group decision.
“For people who have no source income, it can be difficult to afford to do be a councillor. We want to broaden the spectrum of those representing us, but we won’t be able to do this unless we can provide an income.”
Whitstable councillor Mark Dance did not respond to attempts to obtain a
‘If you want to get good people in, you have to be able to make sure they can survive’