York councillors’ pay set to rise again (From York Press)

Fats Waller would defend it, what councillor of any party will turn it down. It's time we took to the streets and demanded the resignation of all councillors as the only interest they are serving is their own. Public service should be sufficient reward with payment of reasonable expenses. It is not a 'job' or career.

Do they get this money even if they only turn up 58% of the time?

Time to get the lot out this has to be the final insult.

Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

Yes but every other professional has to demonstrate business performance improvements to get their pay rises. Where are the improvements in York council?

I agree totally Paul and look forward to my pay rise being corrected to 14%

Here we go straight after xmas they get another rise when every one else is worried about there jobs.

pedalling paul wrote:
Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

'Residents' - which in this case I will assume to refer to the general public - don't get a chance as backslapping old boy networks and business contacts ensure the same people and their families get elected time after time. Public service should be that not lining your pockets with power and money to make you better than the public. I would favour a return to absolute monarchy and the fuedal system, it can't be any worse!

If the shower at York City Council were paid on performance they would be paying us for there work in the amount of money they have lost in HQ, Security at council sites they have lost money hand over fist

"Coun Healey said: “I do not think we should have got our big pay rise in February, but the decision was taken then that we would accept the same as council employees.” "

He voted for it though. HYPOCRITE

Slightly misleading story again. The previous rise from 6400 to 7000 was reported in the Press last year. the 'new' information is that councillors have had a 2.45% pay rise in line with all other council workers. This was surely part of the settlement that has just been agreed with the unions? Therefore this increase is £7,000 from last February, to £7,171.50 from today. By my calculations that is £171.50 per councillor. With 47 councillors that is £8060. Hardly the bonbshell the story makes out.

I fully agree that councillr sshould not see this as a career. But also it has to be acknowledged that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Who in their right mind is going to give up well paid jobs attend meetings devote time to listening to residents and take abuse on these message boards.

in the past too many councils have been the playthings of wealthy retired men with good pensions. If we want a council that is representative of the city there must be fair renumeration.

A popular view I'm sure

bob the builder wrote:

pedalling paul wrote:
Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

'Residents' - which in this case I will assume to refer to the general public - don't get a chance as backslapping old boy networks and business contacts ensure the same people and their families get elected time after time. Public service should be that not lining your pockets with power and money to make you better than the public. I would favour a return to absolute monarchy and the fuedal system, it can't be any worse!

Check the last election results. A lot of established councillors went, and a fair number of new faces in. Hardly 'old boy networks', eh?

Let's get this right, though. These are allowances, not pay, to help councillors carry out their duties - including listening to the abuse they get from some people.

Hey, if you think they're doing a lousy job, stand for election yourself next time!

It`s just in the current climate maybe they should do what a lot of us are having to do in the private sector and accept no wage rise and no bonuses this year.
You can be sure they won`t be freezing the Council Tax to help us out come April.

pedalling paul wrote:
Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

Quite right. Should it only be the rich who can afford to be elected representatives?

The Press could start adding the comments to stories like these themselves at the same time as publishing the stories themselves.

It's like being stuck in a lift with a load of Daily Mail readers.

Better to be a Daily Mail reader than a Sun or Daily Mirror afficionado. The latter pair are for colouring in only.

12.4% in two years. Inflation busting!

Mullarkian wrote:
Better to be a Daily Mail reader than a Sun or Daily Mirror afficionado. The latter pair are for colouring in only.

What makes Mail readers so dangerous is that they thhink they're superior to other tabloid readers:

http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/tvshowbiz/art
icle-1106363/Cheryl-
Cole-Peaches-Geldof-
WAGS-like-wooden-blo
cks-Posh-wasnt-I-nee
ded-her.html

jojo wrote:
It`s just in the current climate maybe they should do what a lot of us are having to do in the private sector and accept no wage rise and no bonuses this year.
You can be sure they won`t be freezing the Council Tax to help us out come April.

Those councillors who have a job are likely doing just that. Remember, we're talking allowances, not pay.

I notice there is no detail on what these allowances actually pay for, or how they are calculated. The Press might be in danger of giving out some even-handed reporting if they bothered to find that out.

Elephant wrote:
Yes but every other professional has to demonstrate business performance improvements to get their pay rises. Where are the improvements in York council?

Quit right!
The clowns in the Guildhall need to assessed and subject to performance pay!
They would more than likely have to pay us, they are so ineffective!

oldgoat wrote:

bob the builder wrote:

pedalling paul wrote:
Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

'Residents' - which in this case I will assume to refer to the general public - don't get a chance as backslapping old boy networks and business contacts ensure the same people and their families get elected time after time. Public service should be that not lining your pockets with power and money to make you better than the public. I would favour a return to absolute monarchy and the fuedal system, it can't be any worse!

Check the last election results. A lot of established councillors went, and a fair number of new faces in. Hardly 'old boy networks', eh?

Let's get this right, though. These are allowances, not pay, to help councillors carry out their duties - including listening to the abuse they get from some people.

Hey, if you think they're doing a lousy job, stand for election yourself next time!

I would prefer a dictatorship and military rule. You know where you stand then.

Yet again, greedy councillors feathering their own nests whilst the mugs who vote these idiots into power have to pay for it. Greedy pigs.

Quite revealing how the Lib Dums lay the blame for every financial c*ck-up in York at the doorstep of restrictive central govt yet when Brown / Blair refuse to take their full pay rise, Waller is suddenly blathering about retrospective increases and backdating.

Still, could anyone look more at home with their nose in a trough...?

The lack of concience at this time by the council,Massive job lay offs, poor markets and worldly financial problems should wake the council up to the fact ; money after all does not grow on trees.

If it isn't enough that the city council treasury has lost and squandered not just thounsands but millions of the city's residents tax payers money, they have to insult York residents by awarding themselves an unpresidented and undeserved pay increase - is there no end to the arogance of this cowboy style council?!

oldgoat wrote:

bob the builder wrote:

pedalling paul wrote: Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

'Residents' - which in this case I will assume to refer to the general public - don't get a chance as backslapping old boy networks and business contacts ensure the same people and their families get elected time after time. Public service should be that not lining your pockets with power and money to make you better than the public. I would favour a return to absolute monarchy and the fuedal system, it can't be any worse!

Check the last election results. A lot of established councillors went, and a fair number of new faces in. Hardly 'old boy networks', eh? Let's get this right, though. These are allowances, not pay, to help councillors carry out their duties - including listening to the abuse they get from some people. Hey, if you think they're doing a lousy job, stand for election yourself next time!

It really isn't good enough to trot out the standard "you get yourself elected and do better then" chestnut.

Remember politicians are there, at our expense, for everyone's benefit, not just their own. By right we are entitled to give them a well deserved kick up the backside.

Where does your argument end? We can't criticise a Picasso unless we're prepared to put brush to canvas?

Silly old goat, get some bite.

Bloody disgusting when people like my daughter have had 2,200 quid knocked off their pay in the so called re hash of wages. They make me sick and we are all supposed to keep paying the tax to keep them all in their feathered nests. Just might not pay my lastr payment for the hell of it

Soothsayer wrote:

oldgoat wrote:

bob the builder wrote:

pedalling paul wrote: Many Councillors have paid employment and are released without pay by their employers to attend Council business. Like us, most have mortgages to pay and all are subject to inflation at the shop till and garage forecourt (unless they cycle of course!). Some have to obtain childminding services to attend meetings. If we want to attract residents to offer their services as Councillors, we can't reasonably expect them to do so for nowt.

'Residents' - which in this case I will assume to refer to the general public - don't get a chance as backslapping old boy networks and business contacts ensure the same people and their families get elected time after time. Public service should be that not lining your pockets with power and money to make you better than the public. I would favour a return to absolute monarchy and the fuedal system, it can't be any worse!

Check the last election results. A lot of established councillors went, and a fair number of new faces in. Hardly 'old boy networks', eh? Let's get this right, though. These are allowances, not pay, to help councillors carry out their duties - including listening to the abuse they get from some people. Hey, if you think they're doing a lousy job, stand for election yourself next time!

It really isn't good enough to trot out the standard "you get yourself elected and do better then" chestnut.

Remember politicians are there, at our expense, for everyone's benefit, not just their own. By right we are entitled to give them a well deserved kick up the backside.

Where does your argument end? We can't criticise a Picasso unless we're prepared to put brush to canvas?

Silly old goat, get some bite.

Why not?
We get endless posts telling us how useless the councillors are, how they should be kicked out of office, how they have wasted countless money.
So, how #would# these folks do it better? Have they talked to their councillors, challenged them and got an answer?

I'm all for giving them a kick up the backside. Just use the facts, not the half-baked Press articles.

2nd most commented on story. Not even in the 10 most read stories.

Says a lot

roberts wrote:
Slightly misleading story again. The previous rise from 6400 to 7000 was reported in the Press last year. the 'new' information is that councillors have had a 2.45% pay rise in line with all other council workers. This was surely part of the settlement that has just been agreed with the unions? Therefore this increase is £7,000 from last February, to £7,171.50 from today. By my calculations that is £171.50 per councillor. With 47 councillors that is £8060. Hardly the bonbshell the story makes out. I fully agree that councillr sshould not see this as a career. But also it has to be acknowledged that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Who in their right mind is going to give up well paid jobs attend meetings devote time to listening to residents and take abuse on these message boards. in the past too many councils have been the playthings of wealthy retired men with good pensions. If we want a council that is representative of the city there must be fair renumeration. A popular view I'm sure

I totally agree with the sentiment of paying peanuts and getting monkeys.

We're paying sh1tloads and getting monkeys though...

in my opinion, our tax money mainly gets wasted or not used in the correct areas anyway! I wouldnt complain at a pay-rise & doubt anyone else would...

in my opinion, our tax money mainly gets wasted or not used in the correct areas anyway! I wouldnt complain at a pay-rise & doubt anyone else would...