Is it necessary for the clerk to be a member of slcc and the council to belong to nalc

Question

The clerk want the pc to pay the fees for hers to be a member of slcc put the clerk also works for another pc should we ask the other pc  to contribute

Answer 1

Is it ‘necessary?’  That’s not the best way to phrase the question  

Only your PC can determine if it is advantageous and VfM to subscribe to County ALC. 

Does your clerk have a contract of employment?

If yes, does it stipulate SLCC subscription?

I’m guessing there probably isn’t a very comprehensive employment contract?

Should your PC ask the other PC to contribute? 

All depends what the employment contract states but unless it states otherwise I’d say no, if the clerk wants it the clerk can organise it with the other PC  

Is it a new clerk? I’m guessing it might be or has this subject just arisen?

Comments

I always judge the service provided from any source from  a customers point of view.   The test of proficiency is that the provider of the service (NALC) should understand who is customer is and what are their needs.   So I judge NALC as  councillor  bearing in mind that it is the PC who is the member.   In my opinion NALC is all about providing what they see as the best advice but being routed via the clerk.  It does nothing to support Councillors as an entity.  It support of the clerks role is however total.  The operation of any council consists of two things.  Firstly there are Cllrs who are elected and make decisions.  Secondly clerks are there to support and advise but more and more with the support of NALC they are telling Councillors how things  should operate.   Many Cllrs resign because of this as they feel their (unpaid) role is diminished. There are of course Councils where this co-existence works like a well oiled machine but if the boundaries aren't understood well things can turn nasty .  The problem is that NALC will only communicate via the clerk and then often things are not properly represented.   On balance my experience is that NALC major on supporting  the position of the clerk rather than providing  a service to the Council.   In our case our subscription is nearly £1000pa and I always vote against renewal .   You must make up your own mind
PS as regards Employing Councils paying their clerk's  membership I read somewhere that 85% of SLCC total revenue comes through this channel.  Hmm

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There is a lot to be said for encouraging Cllrs to obtain and use the password for their NALC and county ALC websites.
It’s not just that ALC / NALC might be less than enthusiastic to open up to Cllrs, Cllrs must also INSIST on access and using the resource.

Answer 2

It is advantageous for the Clerk to be a member of the SLCC as ours in as they bring a lot of useful information to the table so to speak and they are becoming more confident in the legal aspects.  Our Clerk also clerks for other Councils and we just split the bill.