Polegate council and clerk go their separate ways after 'row'
POLEGATE Town Council has parted company with its clerk, Carol Gatrill, following a "row" behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, her predecessor, Lin Baxter, has returned as acting town clerk to ensure that local administration remains unaffected.
Signs that all was not well between council and clerk surfaced in the minutes of a full council meeting held last month,
Press and public were excluded from the July 26 meeting as members went into secret session to debate a confidential agenda item under "Staffing Issues".
In a subsequent minute of proceedings, it was clear that there had been issues surrounding the clerk's salary.
And headed "Dispute between the Clerk and the Council", it left little doubt that some ill-feeling existed between both parties.
The minute read: "It was resolved to award the incremental increase in salary from spine point 32 to spine point 33, back dated to April 1, 2010.
"This award would be conveyed to the clerk via a letter as from the meeting on July 26. This letter will be held on file."
Spine points are used to determine payments over and above basic local government salaries.
After being contacted by the Gazette, Polegate mayor Tim Voyce was tight-lipped over the issue.
He said, "I can't comment on it. This should not have been publicised. It's something the clerk has done and she should never have done this."
But a subsequent call to the council's High Street offices confirmed that Mrs Gatrill was no longer in post.
Acting town clerk Lin Baxter said, "I understand this was by mutual consent. Mrs Gatrill no longer works here and I really can't say more than that."
Mrs Gatrill, of Brook Street, Polegate, said, "I'm afraid I can't make any comment at the moment. There's nothing more I wish to say."
A former activities manager at Lewes Prison, she became Polegate's town clerk on April 1, 2009, and a month later was joined by administrative assistant Jo Ognjanovic.
Together they replaced Mrs Baxter and long-standing deputy town clerk, Rochelle McGlave, who retired after 17 years' service.
In January last year Polegate Town Council became one of some 600 councils out of more than 3,500 nationwide to gain Quality Council Status.
No accounts for the council's income and expenditure during 2009-10 are currently available on its website, www.polegate-tc.co.uk
But in the year ended March 31, 2009, it spent 70,139 of taxpayers' money on employee costs, 17,590 on administration and a further 4,675 on general administration.
It is not known how much the Town Clerk is paid.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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