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07/04/2009
Councillors' Pay-Off Could Top £36,000
While members of the public are being invited to give their views on proposed severance arrangements for long serving district councillors - many will be surprised by reports that individual 'pay-offs' could reach as much as £36,000.
The number of district councils - such as that in Newtownabbey, whose Mossley Mill HQ is pictured here - is being reduced from 26 to 11 and the number of councillors will be cut from 582 to about 460 by the end of 2011.
The consultation paper sets out options for a severance package for councillors who stand down from local government after years of service.
Severance could be calculated at a set amount per year, with a possible maximum period of qualifying service.
The examples given are £1,000 per year up to a maximum qualifying period of either 36 years service (setting a cap of £36,000) or up to a maximum period of 25 years service (£25,000) or a maximum period of 20 years service (£20,000).
Alternatively, the level of the award could be determined under a banding system.
For example, councillors who have served between eight and 10 years would receive £10,000, councillors who have served more than 10 years but less than 15 years would be awarded £15,000 and councillors who have spent more than 15 years in local government would receive £20,000.
NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: "Under the Review of Public Administration, the Executive has proposed severance arrangements as a way of recognising the contribution long serving councillors who choose to stand down, have made to their local area and to Northern Ireland as a whole.
"The consultation document puts forward a number of options for possible severance arrangements, including the calculation of the amount of money that could be paid to an individual councillor, the timing of any scheme and how the associated costs should be met.
"Consultation on severance arrangements for district councillors is one of the preliminary steps for the reorganisation of local government in 2011.
"Local government plays an important part in the lives of everyone in Northern Ireland and I would encourage people to take part in this consultation," he said.
See: Robinson On Defensive Over Expenses
(BMcC/JM)
The number of district councils - such as that in Newtownabbey, whose Mossley Mill HQ is pictured here - is being reduced from 26 to 11 and the number of councillors will be cut from 582 to about 460 by the end of 2011.
The consultation paper sets out options for a severance package for councillors who stand down from local government after years of service.
Severance could be calculated at a set amount per year, with a possible maximum period of qualifying service.
The examples given are £1,000 per year up to a maximum qualifying period of either 36 years service (setting a cap of £36,000) or up to a maximum period of 25 years service (£25,000) or a maximum period of 20 years service (£20,000).
Alternatively, the level of the award could be determined under a banding system.
For example, councillors who have served between eight and 10 years would receive £10,000, councillors who have served more than 10 years but less than 15 years would be awarded £15,000 and councillors who have spent more than 15 years in local government would receive £20,000.
NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: "Under the Review of Public Administration, the Executive has proposed severance arrangements as a way of recognising the contribution long serving councillors who choose to stand down, have made to their local area and to Northern Ireland as a whole.
"The consultation document puts forward a number of options for possible severance arrangements, including the calculation of the amount of money that could be paid to an individual councillor, the timing of any scheme and how the associated costs should be met.
"Consultation on severance arrangements for district councillors is one of the preliminary steps for the reorganisation of local government in 2011.
"Local government plays an important part in the lives of everyone in Northern Ireland and I would encourage people to take part in this consultation," he said.
See: Robinson On Defensive Over Expenses
(BMcC/JM)
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