Monday, July 25, 2011

Ex-Kent boss Peter Gilroy hands back Taxpayers money

 
Not many of us face the dilemma of deciding whether to pay ourselves an extra 18 grand or not on top of a 210K salary, still Peter Gilroy former chief exec of Kent county council faced that problem and after some consideration, paid himself £18,350 for acting as returning officer, in county county elections during 2009.
 
No surprise then at some point later he apparently questioned the wisdom and commissioned a report, on the legality, my own view is that part of a chief executives job is to oversee the democratic process, not to think of opportunities for enhancements to salary.
 
When this was discussed, on the 21st of June, Liberal Democrat Cllr Tim Prater proposed an investigation, to ponder the recovery of the illegal payment, however Conservative councillors refused to even discuss recovery of the money, (why you might wonder?) fortunately for us the taxpayer due Mr Gilroy's honesty the money has now been returned.
 
Kent on Sunday  yourCanterbury website reported  "He claims he felt uneasy about awarding himself the money at the time, and that it was he who commissioned the review into returning officers’ pay which concluded the decision was not permitted in law.
 
Back in the real world, Conservative Cllr.Paul Carter leader of Kent Council is begging local schools not to become financially independent of KCC by becoming Academy's, given KCC's record in financial matters, child care and others you can well understand why school's would wish to cut out the middlemen.
 
Any news on Iceland? or that promised enquiry into child care services apparently promised by Paul Carter.
 
Finally this is a typical example of how Kent Conservatives handle things, in any other organisation, recovery of the overpayment would have been subject to discussion.
 
PS I wonder how much the "review" cost and also interest, and whether that was taking into account?

7 comments:

  1. Not many of us earn eighteen grand.

    Well played to all involved in highlighting this sordid business and piling on the pressure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anyone else would have been done for fraud, but not the elitist ones

    Which is why none of this will ever come out at all, far too much money to be made by the "trustee's" of the council

    Any news on Iceland? or that promised enquiry into child care services apparently promised by Paul Carter.

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  3. Misconduct in Public Office

    http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/

    this might come in handy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Didnt he spend more than that on lunchs and foreign trips abroad, just small change being returned ?

    Thieving MPs won't be named so there is absolutely no chance of any proper accountability within councils.

    Expenses officer: Unfair to name MPs under investigation
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14280393

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  5. Another Gilroy/Carter vanity projects soon to be abolished (april 2012). You may recall they set up Kent healthwatch in competition to the many other services that KCC residents could call upon with problems with NHS services. It only cost £300,000 a year and worked out at £600 for each of the calls it received in the first year.
    But it looks like one of the existing services Kent LINk is to become the new government HealthWatch body.

    More KCC wastes comming to an end.

    ReplyDelete
  6. anon 4.59

    Good one,needs to be put into practice especially as it is under
    common law the sooner the corrupt are removed the better for everyone.

    I can think of plenty who should be removed and held accountable

    'Misconduct in public office is an offence at common law triable only on indictment. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It is an offence confined to those who are public office holders and is committed when the office holder acts (or fails to act) in a way that constitutes a breach of the duties of that office.'

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  7. whats going on with that face doesnt look a day over 70 and some really should go easy on the blusher !

    ReplyDelete