Delay for West Sussex councillors new pay package
A new 'pay package' proposed for West Sussex county councillors - which includes inflation-busting increases for members of the county cabinet - looks set to be put on hold until later in the year.
The proposals have been put forward by an independent panel, after a long period of debate and research.
The county governance committee agreed to recommend the full county council to defer a decision.
A wide range of changes is being proposed by the panel, including an increase of just over one per cent in the basic allowance paid to all councillors - from 10,894 a year to 11.209.
Allowances
Special responsibility allowances are paid on top of this to councillors with extra duties, and the panel is proposing an increase of more than 15 per cent for cabinet members, from 18,886 to 21,765.
A 9.48 per cent rise is proposed for the council leader, from 30,364 to 33,243.
However, there's a reduction of 6.59 per cent on the cards for the council chairman, down from 27,398 to 25,591.
A proposal by the panel, whose members include a community relations specialist, a former HR director, a retired actuary, a former university vice-chancellor and a former county chairman, to reduce the allowance for the leader of the council's principal opposition party, the Liberal Democrats, from 13,904 to 8,706, the same as a committee chairman, faced criticism at the meeting.
Cutting back
Some members, both Conservative and Lib Dem, argued against this, pointing out that the political role was much more demanding than that of a committee chairman.
An even bigger reduction is proposed for the leader of the minority Labour group, which now has only two councillors, following election losses, from 13,904 to 4,353 - a cut of more than 68 per cent.
The overall extra cost of the panel proposals would be 60,000 a year, if implemented in full.
Members could come back to this later in the year, when circumstances were clearer, and the county council had been through the budget-setting process.
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"This is similar to many high level, high profile professional roles," she said.
Mrs Nicholls said councillors made sacrifices and choices - perhaps putting progression in their business or career on hold - or waiting to retire before seeking election and serving their community. "Allowance should be seen as compensation for time given, not reward," she said.
n By PETER HOMER
news@chiobserver.co.uk
New pay package for councillors is set to be put on ice for time being
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