Commissioners in Port St Mary have racked up costs of £1,248.75 in attendance allowance this year alone.

This newspaper submitted a Freedom of Information request for the number of meetings held and attendance allowance claimed by village commissioners.

Attendance allowance is a discretionary payment many commissioners in other authorities do not claim.

The commissioners’ office revealed that for the first 10 weeks of 2018, allowance claimed was £161.25 (by Alan Grace, Rob Hirst, Andy Phair, Laurence Vaughan-Williams and Bernadette Williams), £131.25 (by Richard Ashcroft and Ian Skelly), £120 (by Michelle Haywood) and £60 (by Alec Merchant.)

This was for attendance at a series of four extraordinary general meetings, five regular meetings and one meeting of an events sub-committee.

These are troubled times at the authority. Clerk Alastair Hamilton has been on sick leave since the start of January with no public announcement about why he is still absent and for how long.

Chairman Alan Grace stood down last month after a motion of no confidence in him was passed.

There is also a police investigation, requested by the authority, into how information about an EGM concerning Mr Hamilton was leaked to the press.

Rate rise

The authority increased rates by 5.2% with no explanation prompting questions from members of the public and demands for details about why a rise was necessary and what the extra income would be spent on.

At a surgery convened by commissioners Ms Haywood and Mr Phair last month, residents expressed fears the authority’s purchase of Manxonia House was a ’millstone’ for ratepayers and they outlined concerns over the financial management of the village.

At the latest meeting of the board, commissioners heard that the village’s business association had asked if the authority would hold a public meeting to discuss plans for Manxonia House and the future of the town hall.

The association wrote: ’Members, many of whom are small businesses working on tight margins, are concerned at the recent rates rise and we would like to understand whether these development plans will have a future impact on business rates.’

Mr Phair said he had been approached by three people who said if the authority didn’t hold a public meeting, they would request a requisition meeting.

Mr Vaughan-Willams, who has replaced Mr Grace as chairman of the board, said: ’What concerns me is our plans for Manxonia House are not finalised.’ Mr Phair said: ’That’s some of the concern (for members of the public).’

Mr Merchant said because the Manxonia House project has gone on for so long, ’the energy has gone out of it. People are right to question the validity’.

Mr Vaughan-Williams said: ’Perhaps it would be better if it was held after the AGM. We are not against this (public meeting).’

The commissioners agreed to respond to the association that a public meeting will be held after the AGM, next month.