45% Pay Rise for Tory Deputy Leader of Shepway Council Defeated

The Lib Dem group on Shepway Council has helped defeat an attempt by the ruling Tory group to put a massive 45% on to the council allowance paid to the Conservative Deputy Leader. The Deputy Leader, Cllr David Monk, stood to gain an extra £3,753 in addition to his current allowance of £8,247.

Lib Dem Cllr Lynne Beaumont added:

"In recent weeks Cllr David Monk been reported in the local press warning of potential service cuts and/or charges for Council services due to huge budget pressures. He suggested that local residents may be charged to park on the streets. How can he now have the audacity to ask for extra allowances on this massive scale?"

The Lib Dem group help defeat the move by voting against the Conservatives at the full Council meeting on Wednesday 16th November 2005.

Cllr Deputy Leader Lynne Beaumont added:

"This is outrageous! At a time when the Council's recycling scheme is in turmoil, with potential huge overspends on the Council budget the Conservatives ask for a 45% allowance increase for their own Deputy Leader. I think that the council tax payers of Shepway will be astonished to learn that the Council leadership is supporting moves to increase their own pay while the re-cycling scheme is out of control."

Moves to increase the allowances for a number of posts on the Council were also defeated.