Cabinet control of Herefordshire Council could end ahead of the next local election

 

CABINET control of Herefordshire Council could be over ahead of the next local elections.

 

A groundbreaking motion to abolish cabinet will be put to a full council vote on September 26.

 

The motion is proposed by Cllr Terry James, Lib-Dem group leader, who headed the council’s first cabinet in 1999.

 

Support for the motion is expected from the Independent group and It’s Our County (IOC).

 

A combined opposition vote would defeat any Tory attempt to defend cabinet.

 

The Tory group currently controls the council – through cabinet – as a minority.

 

Should the abolition motion succeed, the council would have to prepare for the end of  cabinet ahead of the local election in May.

 

That will most likely mean a complete re-write of the council’s constitution.

 

Alternatives to cabinet include a wider ranging committee system and more voting power for the full council.

 

Cllr James said successive cabinets had come to forget their purpose to appear as little more than a body delegating decisions to officers rather than running the council.

 

“We see millions of pounds being spent on setting up new offices at Plough Lane and Hereford Shirehall while grass doesn’t get cut to save a few thousand,†he said.

 

Dissatisfaction with the cabinet system has simmered on the council’s “backbenches† for some years.

 

 Many members believe cabinet stifles their voice and diminishes the role of ward councillor.

 

Equally long-running are concerns over “closed doors† when key or sensitive decisions are discussed.

 

IOC leader councillor Anthony Powers said his party was already “actively exploring†alternatives to cabinet that could be presented as policy.

 

“There is a need to re-build the council’s decision-making processes. Cabinet leaves too many decisions to too few, more councillors should be getting a greater say in decisions,†said Cllr Powers.

 

Cllr Bob Matthews, Independent group leader, said his members wanted “changes in some form†to decision making ahead of the election.

 

Those changes, said Cllr Matthews, centred on ideas around a system that was based more around specific committees than a single cabinet – spreading the scope of representation.

 

Cabinet, as such, could be made up of the committee chairman with the council leader getting the casting vote, he said.

 

The role of scrutiny is widely seen as in need of an overhaul too.

 

In May, the Independents and Tories took control of the overview and scrutiny committee, ousting the IOC chairman and deputy chairman.

 

That move brought  fears over the political and strategic function of scrutiny - as a body specifically set up to challenge cabinet decision making – to the fore.

 

The concept of a cabinet was one the first executive issues to face Herefordshire Council from its start in 1998.

 

Then legislation outlined in a government white paper outlined the abolition of traditional committee and sub-committee systems, seen as diffusing responsibility and leaving voters unclear as where decision making powers lay.

 

The then group leaders were united on the idea of a cabinet that met only behind closed doors – as the white paper allowed.

 

Arguments in favour of closed doors cited the “openness†offered by mixed party scrutiny committees responsible for specific service areas.

 

 The Hereford Times led calls for cabinet to open its doors, but resistance to the body meeting in public continued to 2000 ahead of a reform motion being put to full council .

 

In January 2000, that motion was headed off in the chamber, with the then council leader Cllr James  conceding that cabinet proceedings would go public.

 

The size of cabinet, and the roles available within it, has fluctuated since with opposition leaders allowed a say at each meeting and local members when issues specific to constituencies were discussed.

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Herefordshire Council creates new £90k a year role

 

HEREFORDSHIRE Council has created a new £90,000 a year role and extended the interim contracts of two top bosses one of which is worth £147,000 a year.

 

That new role revises the grading and job title of solicitor to the council to Assistant Director, Governance.

 

The council says the post and its £90,000 salary reflects changes in the role and its responsibilities.

 

Chief finance officer Peter Robinson and Director of Adults Well-Being Helen Coombes have had their interim contracts with the council extended to September next year. All three changes have been backed by the councils employment panel.

 

The panel was told that the changes were necessary to ensure continuing effective leadership of a large  proportion of the councils key services undergoing significant change.

 

In 12 -15 months time the  council expects to be on firmer foundations with many of the ongoing changes  delivered, the panel heard.

 

This, the panel heard, was likely to clarify the roles in future and ensure that the  posts are attractive with greater stability to high calibre internal and external candidates in future.

 

The councils former finance boss left in September last to be replaced, as an interim appointment, by Peter Robinson, formerly director of finance for Bristol City Council.

 

The budget situation Mr Robinson inherited was described as difficult and challenging with the council having overspent in its previous financial year and forecasting a £4.5m overspend in 2013/14.

 

External auditor, Grant Thornton had rated the authority as red over its reserves.

 

Subsequently, the council has agreed a three year financial plan to deliver significant savings and replenish its reserves. It has also spent within its budget for 2013/14.

 

Mr Robinson has also led on negotiations with Defra in securing  agreement for the Waste PFI contract with Worcestershire, re-structured the councils finance and re-procured the internal audit contract.

 

Recently, he took on responsibility for ICT strategy and the management and client role for the ICT element of the council’s contract with Hoople.

 

Mr Robinson is contracted through a management service provider called NEPRO.  The contract for these services equates to £147,000 a year including on costs such as employers national insurance contributions and pension - on costs for council employees are in the region of 30%.

 

The contract does not cover sickness or leave. NEPRO charge 1% of the contract cost, which is approximately £1,500 per year.

 

Helen Coombes was appointed to her interim role in July last year to stay in post until mid 2014. She stays on to see Adults Well-Being through major social care service changes. Her total remuneration is £108k compared to a full time equivalent of £120k.

 

The role of solicitor to the council, currently held by Bill Norman, has, over the past six months, taken on a range of additional responsibilities, most recently HR and organisation development management.

 

Re-grading to Assistant Director level is said by the council to recognise the additional responsibilities.

 

Additional costs for the  Chief Financial Officer, approximately £30k - £15k in both 2014/15 and 2015/16  - include ongoing payments to the managed service provider, although a significant discount has been agreed for these and for a four day A week consultancy element of the contract with NEPRO.

 

The council says the additional  cost can be managed from additional savings achieved in  the 2014/15 budget.

 

The costs of continuing the current arrangements for the Director of Adults Well-Being are within the approved budget of a permanent Director post.

 

Additional costs associated with the re-grading of the Assistant Director, Governance - including on-costs - is £13k a year with these costs met by deleting the Head of Governance post.

 

In July last year, the council confirmed changes to its senior management structure that were expected to save nearly £200k.