Bonuses for satisfactory work!
Bexley Council seems to be living in a world of its own. At a time when jobs are being lost at an alarming rate it seems unfair that senior council staff should be immune to the credit crunch and continue to draw their high five and six figure salaries.
Recently some of our highest paid councillors Teresa O’Neill, Cheryl Bacon, Chris Ball, Colin Campbell, Sharon Massey, Michael Slaughter and Simon Windle met to discuss additional performance related rewards for management staff for doing their jobs satisfactorily offering them bonuses of 5% or 10%.
The meeting was held in secret lasting two hours and twenty five minutes. Performance related pay awards were agreed.
In the Chronicles view Bexley Council should remember its Taxpayers are also voters. Are they being unreasonable asking their elected councillors and management to tighten their belts as they have had to! And only offer lower paid staff just a 2% pay increase.
Highest paid councillors
Looking through the list of councillors and their allowances/expenss for the year 08/09 those with no special duties each received £9,357 up by just over by 3% from the year previous.
The current list of councillors has many husband and wife teams on the Tory council in Bexley. Highest family income goes to Gareth Bacon one of the Longlands councillors. He is also the Tory member on the Greater London Authority. Along with his wife Cheryl the family earn well over £80,000 a year from their part-time council/GLA work.
Gareth Bacons full time work is with the financial recruitment agency Martin Ward Anderson.
Other notable married couples who are councillors include Don and Cheryl Massey who take home £40,807; Mike and June Slaughter; £39,986 and David and Eleanor Hurt £34,076; Alan and Ross Downing £18,714; Brian and Aileen Beckwith £18,714; David and Pat Cammish £18, 714.
The papers are wrong says Evennett
Three inaccurate reports have appeared in the national press about David Evennett MP’s petty cash claims and outside interests.
Last month the Sunday Times, and Independent, incorrectly imply that David has a second job. David has not, at any time, had a second job since his election as Bexleyheath and Crayford MP in May 2005.
It is clearly stated in the publicly available Register of Members Interests that David provides administrative assistance to Mrs G I Evennett.
Mrs G I Evennett is David’s elderly mother. He assists her with paperwork including accountancy and tax returns, bills and legal documents. Mrs Evennett pays David for costs and fees.
The second incorrect report featured in the Mail on Sunday. David’s petty cash claim for 2007/8 was printed as being £2925, however, the claim forms released on the House of Commons website show that he in fact claimed £2530. All of this was spent on David’s Parliamentary duties and running his Parliamentary office, and not claimed for personal gain.