BRIDGWATER Labour town councillors have voted to accept a recommendation that will see them able to accept an allowance worth £1,240 per year.
The proposals were presented to to councillors in an external report from Somerset Council's Parish, Town and City Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) at a full council meeting on Thursday, February 1.
Until now, councillors have been able to claim up to £500 in expenses – but none have made any claims in this financial year.
The mayor has an annual expenses budget of £5,000.
Two Labour councillors spoke in support of accepting the panel's recommendation, saying members deserve to be recompensed for their work.
But the opposition Conservative group argued it is the wrong time to accept an allowance as residents face the cost-of-living crisis.
The vote to adopt the yearly allowance took place before councillors approved the town council's 2024-25 budget, which will see a hike in council tax.
Before the debate and vote, town clerk David Mears said: “It is entirely up to you as councillors to decide to adopt this scheme, and it’s down to you on an annual basis whether to accept that - you can decline it.”
The Labour Town council leader Brian Smedley said:“It’s probably not appreciated that normally town and parish councillors do not get paid.
“So, since Bridgwater Town Council has been in existence since 2003, none of the councillors have received any money.
“Sedgemoor no longer exists, and one the things we’re looking to do is take on some of the services that Sedgemoor has lost and Somerset is losing.
“So there will be more responsibilities, and people will appreciate it’s only fair people should be remunerated for work they put in.
“It’s fair and overdue that councillors should be given some recompense for this.
The Conservative group, represented by councillors Gill Slocombe and Diogo Rodrigues (who also sit on Somerset Council) voted against adopting the scheme.
Cllr Slocombe said: “We the Conservative group believe this is not the time to take a personal allowance. At this point, we have never taken costs.
“This is during a cost-of-living crisis and our residents are having to make their own difficult decisions.
“We cannot justify introducing an allowance for town councillors at this time.”
Cllr Rodrigues said: “I’d argue that the residents who pay their town council tax and live on minimum wage would say that £1,200 per councillor is a huge amount.
“I don’t recall in any of our manifestos when we got elected telling residents that we could be charging to pay an allowance to the councillors.
“I will absolutely be voting against this; it’s the wrong time, it’s the wrong thing to do.”
