Major Changes in Governance at BCC

Andy Foster · **Posted:** 23 May 2012, 18:45

radders wrote:

still no sign of a Lab nominee for Selly Oak district...

I understand that Cllr. Karen McCarthy is being nominated as chair of the Selly Oak constituency committee. Karen is "new" but very experienced.

barnardhobbit · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 21:19 **Posts:** 4282

Andy Foster wrote:

I understand that Cllr. Karen McCarthy is being nominated as chair of the Selly Oak constituency committee. Karen is "new" but very experienced.

Andy I believe its called the Selly Oak District Committee Now.

As I said on the very first post on this thread :-

"Out goes Constituency Committees in come District Committees these may become just four Area Committees of South, North, East and Central in time."

As the Constituencies are likely as we know them disappear when the Boundary Changes take place I suspect that the 10 Districts
will also cease and Birmingham will be divided into Four Area Committees in line with the WM Police operational Areas.

I also understand that the 10 new District Committees will be based at Headquarters and meetings will take place in the Council House.

It is not clear yet whether the public will have the right to attend or speak at those District Committee Meetings.

Gaston St Claude · **Joined:** 21 Mar 2012, 19:27 **Posts:** 23

Inexplicably, this week the Post gives a former councillor more space to talk bollocks:

http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/birmingham-columnists/more-columnists/2012/05/18/martin-mullaney-a-retrograde-step-for-arts-65233-30990132/

Quote:

No longer will the arts, culture and sports sectors have one figurehead overseeing them, speaking for them and supporting them.

True. They will have the entire cabinet doing so.

But what is the motivation for this totally unjustified gloom-laden casting of the runes?

Ahh, yes.

Quote:

* Martin Mullaney is the former Birmingham City Council cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture

bunnyson · **Joined:** 01 Jul 2011, 23:05 **Posts:** 768

Barnard reminds us that:

Quote:

As the Constituencies are likely as we know them disappear when the Boundary Changes take place I suspect that the 10 Districts will also cease and Birmingham will be divided into Four Area Committees in line with the WM Police operational Areas.

Currently WMP operational areas follow parliamentary boundaries and it is obvious that many of these will change, due to B'ham having fewer MPs and along with the new Ward boundaries. So both BCC and WMP will have to decide on what boundaries to follow. Fun for cartographers and printers, no-one else though.

Do we really need all these BCC area committees? It is easy to see that any new boundaries within the city will be artificial.

Quixote · **Joined:** 11 Jun 2011, 17:27 **Posts:** 156

Gaston St Claude wrote:

Quote:

No longer will the arts, culture and sports sectors have one figurehead overseeing them, speaking for them and supporting them.

True. They will have the entire cabinet doing so.

really? Why bother with any responsibilities at all? The entire cabinet can then support everything and take responsibility for nothing. Perfect, you must be a politician!

Gaston is still continuing to hiss at Martin Mullaney, it seems almost personal. Is it?

Sestren · **Joined:** 01 Oct 2010, 11:32 **Posts:** 154

Most people I know who are actually involved in the arts never rated Mullaney and are glad he's gone. This is presumably something which would never even have occurred to him.

From his posts on here it appeared that he always had a very narrow idea of what constitutes 'art', and what he wanted in his city. If the aim is to be as cool as Manchester, for instance, you don't do it with things like Artsfest - something he seemed unable to get his head round. That's a masterclass in conservative, safe 'culture' as a commodity - a perfect example of why this sort of thing shouldn't be the responsibility of one all-powerful overseer on the council. Rather than running huge expensive events like that, the council should be an enabler - smaller amounts of funding spread more thinly but, more importantly, doing what's within their power to do for free to let local organisations create what they want.

Andy Foster · **Posted:** 24 May 2012, 10:26

Sestren wrote:

Most people I know who are actually involved in the arts never rated Mullaney and are glad he's gone. This is presumably something which would never even have occurred to him.

From his posts on here it appeared that he always had a very narrow idea of what constitutes 'art', and what he wanted in his city. If the aim is to be as cool as Manchester, for instance, you don't do it with things like Artsfest - something he seemed unable to get his head round. That's a masterclass in conservative, safe 'culture' as a commodity - a perfect example of why this sort of thing shouldn't be the responsibility of one all-powerful overseer on the council. Rather than running huge expensive events like that, the council should be an enabler - smaller amounts of funding spread more thinly but, more importantly, doing what's within their power to do for free to let local organisations create what they want.

Can you expand on this a bit Sestren? It sounds interesting. What's wrong with Artsfest?

Martin let us campaigners for the Central Library down, and seemed to let Brian Gambles get away with the savage cuts he's made in the library service, particularly the central library. But was there anyone actually telling him what you're saying now?

Daz · **Joined:** 11 Dec 2011, 16:48 **Posts:** 378

Quote:

What's wrong with Artsfest?

An event that has its only barometer of quality determined by increasingly ludicrous estimates of footfall contributes nothing to the artistic or cultural representation of our City.

This is a lowest common denominator approach to culture that due to its inherent blandness could easily be picked up by the private sector (see Coca Cola sponsored nonsense for the Olympics).

Birmingham should celebrate the niche, such as Supersonic and Flatpack* and pump money wasted on large events like Artsfest into ideas. Hopefully moving to a point where local people can bid for support can get away from the need to have politicians associated with large events.

In many ways the politics has been detrimental to arts and culture in Birmingham.

*I know both of these events have been supported by the City Council and are examples of what we need to do more of.

gerry · **Joined:** 01 May 2011, 20:52 **Posts:** 1560

What matters in relation to Culture is that we get a firm commitment from Labour that we will still have Black History Month, support for PRIDE and the Eid Mela.

barnardhobbit · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 21:19 **Posts:** 4282

barnardhobbit on May 23rd, 2012, 8:10 pm wrote:

I also understand that the 10 new District Committees will be based at Headquarters and meetings will take place in the Council House.

It is not clear yet whether the public will have the right to attend or speak at those District Committee Meetings.

Birmingham Post Neil Elkes City Council Blog :Sir Albert's 'theatre of absurd' or local decision making?

barnardhobbit · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 21:19 **Posts:** 4282

A Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel before the next Full Council Meeting on the 12th of June
is recommending that the Chairs of the District Committees (formerly Chairs of Constituency Committees)
will now be known as "Executive Members for Local Services"

For this the 10 new "Executives" will receive a Special Responsibility allowance of £10,574 pa this is a rise
of £6798 compared to that paid to the former Constituency Chairs (£3,776).

Although this is less than what is paid to the Chairs of Overview & Scrutiny and other Committees.

This does however equal a pay rise of some 180% if my calculations are correct and brings the pay of these
10 councillors to £26,841 (£16,267 Basic + £10,574 SRA)

Nice work if you can get it for what is a part time job.

johnhemming · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 12:43 **Posts:** 1188

gerry wrote:

What matters in relation to Culture is that we get a firm commitment from Labour that we will still have Black History Month, support for PRIDE and the Eid Mela.

I think St Patrick's day (the third largest in the world) and Vaisakhi also need support inter alia.

Margaret · **Joined:** 26 Apr 2011, 14:59 **Posts:** 130

barnardhobbit wrote:

A Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel before the next Full Council Meeting on the 12th of June
is recommending that the Chairs of the District Committees (formerly Chairs of Constituency Committees)
will now be known as "Executive Members for Local Services"

For this the 10 new "Executives" will receive a Special Responsibility allowance of £10,574 pa this is a rise
of £6798 compared to that paid to the former Constituency Chairs (£3,776).

Although this is less than what is paid to the Chairs of Overview & Scrutiny and other Committees.

This does however equal a pay rise of some 180% if my calculations are correct and brings the pay of these
10 councillors to £26,841 (£16,267 Basic + £10,574 SRA)

Nice work if you can get it for what is a part time job.

Meanwhile, the workers' pay freeze - a real terms pay cut - continues with no end in sight.

barnardhobbit · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 21:19 **Posts:** 4282

Margaret wrote:

Meanwhile, the workers' pay freeze - a real terms pay cut - continues with no end in sight.

I know this will please you Margaret but I was speaking with another BCC Employee recently who said all BCC staff
who's wages have been frozen or reduced is paying at least 1 % per year to finance Steven Hughes annual bonus
and salary increase.

Although Labour has said that they will no longer pay only the National Minimum Wage but will pay a "Living Wage"
which is £7:20 per hour against the current NMW of £6:08

gerry · **Joined:** 01 May 2011, 20:52 **Posts:** 1560

Sir Albert Bore has stated that the £7.20 minimum living wage will start from the 1 July.

jc · **Joined:** 26 Jun 2011, 12:07 **Posts:** 541

Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a percentage key on their keyboard.

http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/top-birmingham-city-councillors-to-get-179-pay-rise/

The Chair’s total package goes from £20043 to £26841 = 34% payrise

Still nice if you can get it, but there is no discussion of the extra duties.

(There is a guy called Barnard in the comment section adding to the illusion of precision

)

ianrobo · **Joined:** 28 Sep 2010, 15:55 **Posts:** 5270

has the total overall expense bill gone up or down ?

barnardhobbit · **Joined:** 29 Sep 2010, 21:19 **Posts:** 4282

jc wrote:

Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a percentage key on their keyboard.

http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/top-birmingham-city-councillors-to-get-179-pay-rise/

The Chair’s total package goes from £20043 to £26841 = 34% payrise

Still nice if you can get it, but there is no discussion of the extra duties.

(There is a guy called Barnard in the comment section adding to the illusion of precision

)

You are indeed correct when you take into account their pay for being a Councillor but the 10 chairs are getting a 180% rise in their Special Responsibility Allowance

jc · **Joined:** 26 Jun 2011, 12:07 **Posts:** 541

"Top Birmingham city Councillors to get a 179% rise in their Special Responsibility Allowance"
doesn't make for such a good headline.

Not that it matters much, the readers probably don't understand percentages anyway.

I don't know the answer to ianrobo's question but it looks as though we're being softened for some more cuts.
"because of the debt we inherited" is alive and well in the shape of a £20m blackhole.

http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/financial-probe-set-to-uncover-20-million-plus-city-council-cash-crisis/

ianrobo · **Joined:** 28 Sep 2010, 15:55 **Posts:** 5270

barnardhobbit wrote:

jc wrote:

Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a percentage key on their keyboard.

http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/top-birmingham-city-councillors-to-get-179-pay-rise/

The Chair’s total package goes from £20043 to £26841 = 34% payrise

Still nice if you can get it, but there is no discussion of the extra duties.

(There is a guy called Barnard in the comment section adding to the illusion of precision

)

You are indeed correct when you take into account their pay for being a Councillor but the 10 chairs are getting a 180% rise in their Special Responsibility Allowance

more responsibilities deserves more cash not always just a straight sum equation

ianrobo · **Joined:** 28 Sep 2010, 15:55 **Posts:** 5270

jc wrote:

"Top Birmingham city Councillors to get a 179% rise in their Special Responsibility Allowance"
doesn't make for such a good headline.

Not that it matters much, the readers probably don't understand percentages anyway.

I don't know the answer to ianrobo's question but it looks as though we're being softened for some more cuts.
"because of the debt we inherited" is alive and well in the shape of a £20m blackhole.

http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/financial-probe-set-to-uncover-20-million-plus-city-council-cash-crisis/

It was said that the tories hid the true extent of the cuts by using reserves, I suspect he same happened in Walsall as they expected to lose the council by now.

the worse of the cuts are to come ....

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