Creation of extra cabinet member questioned

The new administration’s decision add an eight member to the cabinet – and how the new role will be funded – was called into question at a meeting on Tuesday.

The previous Conservative administration included seven cabinet members, with the deputy leader also being responsible for the community portfolio.

When Labour teamed up with Stafford Borough Independents, the Green Part and the council’s sole Liberal Democrat to form a new administration after the May elections, they decided to create a deputy leader role.

At Tuesday’s full council meeting new leader Aidan Godfrey gave further details of what deputy leader Rob Kenney will be responsible for.

His statement was prompted by a question from the opposition group leader and former council deputy leader Jeremy Pert.

Councillor Pert said: “Maintaining council budget prudence during a time of a cost of living crisis has to be a priority for this council, as much as it is a reality for many of the residents of Stafford Borough.

"Given the appointment of an additional cabinet member, which is unbudgeted, where are the budget cuts going to come from to pay for the additional increase in Councillor’s Special Responsibility allowances, given that the budget is set for the year?

“And what exactly are the residents of Stafford Borough going to get from this post, which has a portfolio responsibility that is a fraction of other cabinet members, to ensure that this is real value for money?

"Why was the council not given the courtesy of an open discussion prior to the creation of this partial cabinet role, as then the value for money could have been identified up front and in the public gaze rather than by the Conservative opposition shining a public light on this lack of accountability and funding?”

Councillor Godfrey responded that the administration had cut “absolutely nothing” to finance the additional cabinet post. The extra money had come from an underspend in members’ costs.

He said: “At the last election, when we were knocking on doors, the most talked-about issue on the doorstep was the town centre and what’s happened to the town centre over the last 20 years.

"A lot of people want to go back to what it was like 20 years ago as it was a really nice, traditional market and county town.

“Unfortunately we’ve had a few hurdles put in our way over the past few years and we have the northern end of the town looking like it does.

"When we formed the new administration, we took on board what it meant to the people of Stafford and the borough as a while.

“We decided to have a cabinet member who was specifically in charge of looking after the town centre, co-ordinating all the work that needs to be done urgently.

"We have appointed Councillor Kenney to head up the regeneration of the town centre; this is a priority of the electorate and now it’s a priority of this council.

“Councillor Kenney will also be working with and helping the two big portfolios of environment and economic development.

"He will also cover for absent colleagues if they’re away as it’s a pretty full agenda and I hope you realise what he has taken on.”

Councillor Kenney told the meeting he had 20 years’ experience of retail and wholesale, through the independent business he ran with his wife, to bring to his new role.

He said: “We know of the testing times endured and we have been part of High Street campaigns.

“My previous employment was involved in project management.

"When we talk of value for money and roles within the council, is it value for money that the leader of the opposition has a supplementary payment and has no responsibilities whatsoever?”