COUNCILLOR PAID £13,000 FOR CHAIRING 4 PUBLIC MEETINGS

Research by Shropshire Lib Dem Councillors have discovered that the Council has spent a total of £67,165 since the Council Elections held in May 2013 on allowances for the 5 Chairs of Scrutiny Panels who have met, in public on average, only 6 times each. One has only chaired 4 meetings (and cancelled 7), that's £3358 per meeting.

Lib Dem Leader Roger Evans, said "At a time of great austerity when key services such as care for the elderly, public transport and roads are being cut back it is outrageous that large sums of council taxpayers' money is being spent for so little apparent work.

"What is worse is that, for the most part, many councillors and outside organisations consider they do not even do the job properly. Scrutiny panels are meant to scrutinise the work of the Council and the Executive, holding them to account for any shortcomings. Ideally, and it is recommended as good practise, Chairs of scrutiny committees should be opposition Councillors or at least shared, as happens in Government with their Select Committees. Under this Conservative Administration we have none of that - scrutiny has become a rubber stamping exercise that is when they meet of course."

Public Scrutiny Meetings since May 2013:

Enterprise and Growth Scrutiny Committee - 4 held, 7 cancelled or postponed.

Performance Management Scrutiny Committee - 6 held, 3 cancelled or postponed

Protecting and Enhancing our Environment Scrutiny Committee - 5 Held, 4 cancelled or postponed.

Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee - 10 held, 1 cancelled.

Safe and Confident Communities/Young People's Scrutiny Committee - 8 held, 1 cancelled.

Pay for each Chair £959 per month.

"I am very concerned over the dreadful waste of public money and the undemocratic running of the Scrutiny committees that the LibDem Council Group have revealed" said Christine Tinker, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Shrewsbury & Atcham. "I fully support them bringing the Tory Council to account for this unnecessary expenditure."

Councillor Evans and others will be pressing the Administration to reform this waste of taxpayers money at the full meeting of Shropshire Council on Thursday.