COUNCIL tax payers have been landed with a bill for more than £80,000 following the Town Clerk's departure from the city council. The Citizen has obtained a confidential report compiled by Council Leader Stanley Henig which reveals that John Burrows' redundancy package amounts to well over one year's salary. The council's top officer cleared his desk three weeks ago. At a special council meeting Mr Burrows was said to have made himself 'voluntarily redundant,' but independent councillors derided the official line as a "sham."

The leaked document reveals details of a meeting between Mr Burrows, Cllr Henig and their representatives, where the Town Clerk "offered to agree to his post being made redundant."

The terms of the agreement include: Mr Burrows not attending council offices; not making unauthorised statements to the press or any third party; not disclosing the terms of the agreement to anyone except his immediate family and not pursuing any claims of wrongful or unfair dismissal against the council.

Another condition states: "The council will, under the hand of the Leader of the Council, provide an agreed reference to assist the Town Clerk in obtaining alternative employment."

Although still employed by the council until December 11, Mr Burrows' duties have now been split between City Treasurer, David Corker, and Director of Development, Charles Wilson.

Independent councillors have made a formal request to meet the Council Leader to express their concerns.

Said Cllr Carol Broad: "We're spending all this public money on a redundancy package when we don't even know exactly why the Town Clerk left in the first place. We're not being given information that, as councillors, we should be privy to. Other costs will also be incurred as officers take on the Town Clerk's duties. We're hopeful that Cllr Henig will give us answers.

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