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Our Independent councillors, Peter Thirlwall and Ben Slade, are proposing the following change to Council Policy at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday February 3rd:"At a time of severe pressures on the Council budget, this Council resolves to discontinue first class rail travel for Councillors and use the money saved to support front line services for the people of
Peter will be proposing and Ben will be seconding the proposal.
Rotherham Independents Campaign members are fully supportive and consider it the most reasonable thing to do when Rotherham's residents are suffering great economic hardship.
In a bi-partisan approach to fellow councillors, Peter has written individually to all Rotherham councillors asking them to consider what Rotherham's people want, just for once.
What Peter has said to them:
Dear Fellow Councillor,
On Wednesday at the full Council Meeting I will be proposing the following motion to bring to an end the practise of using first class travel whilst on Council business.
Motion to Council on the 3rd February 2010
"At a time of severe pressures on the Council budget, this Council resolves to discontinue first class rail travel for Councillors and use the money saved to support front line services for the people of Rotherham ."
Proposed: Councillor Peter Thirlwall
Seconded: Councillor Ben Slade
I would ask you all to consider your position carefully before rejecting this motion, which would be taken by the vast majority of Rotherham people, a sign that you do not live in the same world as them. For just once take a decision to save some taxpayers money to help save the front line services that your constituents may rely on.
Collectively councillors in Rotherham are already amongst the most well rewarded in the country. Last year each of you received the basic allowance of £12,271. Most of you in addition have received 'special responsibility allowances' varying from a Cabinet Adviser on £1.203 to the Leader of the council on £32,544. The Special Responsibility Allowances cost the taxpayer a total of £356,150. A grand total of £1,136,767 last year in fact!
The fact that you insist on getting every last penny out of us, is nothing short of an outrage, especially when it comes at the end of a financial year when you have made swingeing cuts to essential services that the most vulnerable in our communities depended upon.
I would point out to you that these cuts are occurring now, before any of the post election belt tightening that all parties are promising to come. I do hope that you do not suggest that, even in a time of great austerity in public services, you are totally unwilling to share any of the pain? (If giving up first class travel could in any way be described as pain.)
Finally I make the plea, once again, on behalf of all in
Yours,
Councillor Peter Thirlwall
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