Cabinet expansion plans on ice

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Tax payers will be expected to cough up an extra £32,464 a year should a proposal for two new cabinet members get the green light.

The Democratic Services Committee had expected a report to be put in front of them at their meeting this week, outlining the argument for the expansion as it was on the agenda.

But council leader, Cllr Rosemarie Harris, would need to justify creating the two roles which will cost an extra £32,464 on the councillors’ wage bill when the authority needs to make cuts and savings of £22 million this year.

Committee chairman Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “We haven’t got a business for more members of the cabinet – so that’s not relevant to the agenda.”

Head of legal service and monitoring officer, Clive Pinney, explained: “I spoke to the leader on Thursday afternoon, she knew this (meeting) was coming up. She wants a little more time and has asked me to apologise for putting it on the agenda and not putting it (the business case) forward. It was just not ready.”

Cllr Roger Williams said that he found the issue a “bit difficult”.

Head of democratic services, Wyn Richards, explained that any increase in cabinet numbers would have to be subject to a business case.

He said that the need stemmed from a recommendation by the Democratic Services Committee, passed by full council earlier this year.

The next meeting is set to take place on Monday, January 6, 2020, however a special meeting could be held before then, to discuss any forthcoming business case.

The need to expand the cabinet from eight to 10 comes from the recent political crisis which saw two cabinet members resign and another moved sideways to avoid a vote of no confidence in her.

Cllr Harris said that she has wanted to reconfigure the portfolios so that they correspond with the current directorate structure at PCC. She believed that too many portfolios cut across directorates.

At the moment, Cllr Harris is not carrying a full complement of cabinet members, with only six.

Following Cllr Martin Weale, portfolio holder for planning and the economy’s resignation last week his cabinet role remains vacant. While the portfolio for Highways, Recycling and Assets, also remains vacant.

This follows the incumbent, Cllr Phyl Davies’ move to the education portfolio.

The former education portfolio holder Cllr Myfanwy Alexander moved to the adults services portfolio following Cllr Hayes’ resignation.