We’ve got a question for you. If you were an employer and you discovered an employee was possibly fiddling his expenses and had been doing so for a year, and their was sufficient evidence before you, what would you do?
A Would you suspend them and investigate more thoroughly?
B Allow them to continue to claim expenses as if nothing had happened?
C Would you inform the Police?
D Something else?
Well the Big Cheese at SDC, Alistair Stewart has said and we quote
“I can confirm that we are investigating some details relating to the expenses claims of a current and a former councillor. The investigations are expected to conclude within two weeks. No councillor has been suspended by Shepway District Council.”
Regards
Alistair Stewart
Chief Executive
Shepwayvox has spoken to companies which live in the real world, 42 of them to be precise and 41 informed us that they would suspend their employee while investigating. The 42nd said they would sack them with immediate effect. Not so at SDC. It appears from the outside of SDC to a fair and reasonably minded person that SDC could be seen to be giving the green light to Cllrs to dip their hands in the coffers.
Former Cllr Tillson’s expenses are as follows [1]
2010/11 he claimed 6,920.66
2011/12 he claimed 13,022.34
2012/13 he claimed 12,889.80
2013/14 he claimed 14,974.29
2014/15 he claimed 15,886.46
2015/ May 7 1,716.93
A total sum of 65,410.48
65,410.48 divided by 265 weeks equals 246.97 per week. Some people do not get paid that a week in Shepway and need Tax Credits to make up their wages. Not so for Former Cllr Russell Tillson, who took home just under a thousand pound a months over five years on average.
Cllr Simmons was paid [2]
2011/12 4,213.68
2012/13 4,591.12
2013/14 5,617.80
2014/15 5,631.73
2015 – June 1,660.40
Total 21,713.73
21,713.73 divided by 211 weeks equals 102.91 pounds a week, so roughly 412.00 a month on average. Not bad for sitting Cllr Peter Simmons. Both are Conservatives.
How is it that the Head of Democratic Services – the person who authorises the payment of Cllrs Expenses Claims signed off expenses which were glaringly inaccurate for the year 14/15?
Shepwayvox and the employers we spoke to are astounded by SDC’s stance, that being Cllrs who are under investigation can
1 Carry on claiming expenses
2 Are not suspended pending the conclusion of the investigation into their expenses claims.
If you wish to comment on this matter, then the best person to contact is the Big Cheese, Alistair Stewart at alistair.stewart@shepway.gov.uk
If you believe the Police should be involved as they were in the MP’s expenses scandal you can contact the Chief Constable Kent Police here
Shepwayvox
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The Leader of KKC expenses for the same periods as Russell Tilson were total £13,187.12
Hard to believe that a District Councillors expenses is higher than the Leader of the KKC, but obviously Mr Tillson was far busier than the leader of KCC