First council meeting postponed
2009-01-29
Sieb Sieberhagen
THE first council meeting of the Drakenstein Municipality for 2009, where a motion of no confidence will be tabled, has been postponed by one week until 5 February. At the meeting the councillors will vote on the motion of no confidence in the current office bearers of the mayoral committee, that was submitted on 29 January by the Freedom Front Plus and ACDP. The venue has not been decided yet. Should the motion be supported by a majority of councillors, the ANC could lose control of the council and new office bearers will be elected. There are intensive negotiations going on this week, as the full support of all the coalition partners in Drakenstein is required, to wrest control from the ANC. * An 11% increase in the remuneration package of Drakenstein municipal councillors is to be approved at the council meeting next week, costing the ratepayers an additional R1,3 million more this year. The increase, backdated to 1 July, was discussed at a mayoral committee meeting last week. In the current financial year, a total of R13 881 361 was budgeted for remuneration of councillors and there will be a shortfall of just over R90 000 if the 11% increase is allowed (which will total R1 375 310). The Council has to approve the provision for the shortfall. The increase will bring the remuneration of municipal councillors (including travelling and housing allowance and municipal contribution to pension fund and medical aid) to R161 571 per year (R13 464 per month before tax). The mayor’s package will increase to R538 575 per year in line with guidelines for Grade 4 municipalities, plus a cellphone allowance of R16 000. Both the speaker of the council and the deputy mayor will receive a package of R430 860, while other members of the mayoral executive committee will earn R403 931 each per year before tax.
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