Suffolk councillors defer raises to their allowances
They would have gained ÂŁ400 a year
Suffolk Councillors have deferred bringing in changes to their basic allowance that would have seen them gain ÂŁ400 more a year.
West Suffolk Council decided yesterday to defer the new allowance scheme proposed by the independent remuneration panel until next year.
The current allowance scheme expires in February 2024 and a full review of allowances will be taken before this. Councillors voted in favour of a suggestion by Cllr Carol Bull to hold off on changes until this happens.
The uplift proposed by the independent remuneration panel was an increase in the basic allowance of £400 per year from next April, taking it to just under £6,726 and depleting the council’s budget by £37,143.
The proposals were based on this year’s pay increase for other council staff members.
The panel took the ÂŁ1,925 pay rise for all council staff given this year, found out the percentage increases this meant for those on different pay levels and reached an average of these percentages.
This average was 6.9 percent, which under the new scheme would be added to the previous basic allowance of ÂŁ6,291.71 to make around ÂŁ6,725.84.
Independent remuneration panels include advisers without close links with the council; councillors must consider their recommendations but are not obliged to follow them when setting allowances.
Some councillors gain money in addition to the basic allowance as their roles carry greater responsibility and accountability than others. These special responsibility allowances are given on top of basic allowances.
The council leader tends to get the highest special responsibility allowance. Last year, leader Cllr John Griffiths’ special responsibility allowance was 2.5 times the basic allowance. The deputy leader got the second highest at 1.5 times the basic allowance.
In October, Mid Suffolk District Council and Babergh District Council agreed to increase basic allowances by £1,000 to £6,510 after next year’s council elections.
The ÂŁ1,925 pay rise for all council staff members was decided through the local government services pay agreement 2022-23 and implemented in April.