CITY of York Council is planning to recruit a personal assistant for Labour council leader Dave Merrett.

The £20,000 cost of the post - together with a £5,000 bill for a team-building exercise to strengthen bonds between the council's top eight decision-makers - could be picked up by taxpayers.

Labour executive members say the purpose of their proposed team-building course is to improve leadership skills and effectiveness.

They say the creation of a personal assistant position is necessary to help the council leader perform an increasingly complex role.

It is the first time any York council leader has been offered the support of an assistant.

Both plans come as the council starts hunting for ways to cut £2.5 million from its budget, and warns taxpayers their bills will rise by at least 6.2 per cent next year.

Liberal Democrats leader Coun Steve Galloway said: "The PA proposal in particular is a kick in the teeth for the many people demanding improvements to street level services in the city.

"Previous council leaders have not required this level of support, and it seems singularly inappropriate to expand administrative arrangements scarcely six months before elections are due.

"As Liberal Democrat leader, I was offered use of the proposed new post. I have turned it down, saying that there are other priorities for council taxpayers' money."

Both political groups already have finances to employ a political assistant to help their administrative work.

But Coun Merrett said the huge workload meant he was struggling to keep on top of matters.

He said: "I have found that I am getting a very heavy correspondence bag, with about 250 to 300 emails a week, and I need some help to try to manage all of that to make sure people are getting a response.

"Most council leaders do have secretarial help."

The proposals are being considered by the council's advisory panel next Monday.

About the team-building work, Coun Merrett said: " The council is being run in a very different way to that in which it has been traditionally done, and it is perceived that it is not being run corporately enough."

Updated: 10:43 Monday, October 07, 2002