Higher Pay for Shepway Councillors Condemned

The Liberal Democrat group on Shepway District Council is demanding that the Council's budget for 2005/06 be changed to eliminate an increase in councillors' allowances contained in the proposals being made by the controlling Conservative group.

Cllr John Hughes (the Lib Dem spokesman for finance) said: "This proposed increase must be stopped. The Conservatives admit that the Council's financial position 'remains fragile' and the average District Council Tax is set to go up by almost 10%. Yet the Conservatives have allowed an increase in the amount paid to councillors to go forward. Recent history at Shepway shows allowances going down under the Liberal Democrats and up under the Conservatives. This increase is out of the question and we want the Council to overrule it."

Shepway's budget is to be discussed by the Council on Wednesday 23 February. The Lib Dem group will propose an amendment that Councillors' allowances should not be increased.

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