THE Mayor’s Jaguars could be the first things to go after bosses at Redbridge Council waded through hundreds of suggestions from their staff on how money could be saved.

The council, which wants to save £25 million over the next three years, asked its employees how it could be done, and the 1,147 responses it received provided a revealing insight into what its staff think.

Suggestions included switching streetlights off at night, making households pay for each bag of rubbish they throw out and forcing council employees to retire at 60.

But proposals that pay cuts be brought in for managers have not been well received by council chiefs.

Marj Kaddy, chief officer for human resources, said: “This may present some recruitment and retention difficulties. The council’s reward strategy for senior people is developed by an ‘expert’ external organisation and it seeks to attract and retain high calibre people. If our reward package isn’t competitive we risk losing these people to other organisations – even during the public sector cuts.”

Suggestions that councillors should retire at 60, their numbers should be cut, and that residents should be charged for each rubbish bag they put out were rejected as being against the law.

But the idea that street lights could be dimmed could become reality.

Dave Renvoize, chief officer for highways said: “This is partially feasible and some work is already under way. We are considering options to dim street lighting late at night but this requires investment in order to release savings. Turning off lights has been trialled elsewhere and has not proved popular or safe.”

The Mayor of Redbridge, currently Cllr Jim O’Shea, has two official Jaguars at his disposal and the council believes that it could save £25,000 by getting rid of one.

An official comment from the council’s finance department said: “If the ceremonial role of the Mayor is reduced then this could result in potential savings of around £50,000 relating to transport, supplies and services and Mayoral allowances.”

The suggestions will be discussed by the council’s cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday (February 15).