Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales gives increase in councillor pay again next year

Councillors will be in the firing line again, and will be pointing out how a planned pay rise is out of their hands, as the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales pay awards process has started again.

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales has published its Draft Annual Report, which would have effect for the financial year 2019/20. These proposals are open for an eight week consultation from this week to find out what you think on plans to increase councillor pay, a bill that is almost £1,000,000 a year in Wrexham alone.

The IRPW report notes the financial constraint on the public sector and particularly local authorities has meant that the link with average Welsh earnings has not been maintained. The Panel considers that this has undervalued the worth of elected members. To ‘avoid further erosion in relation to average earnings’ the Panel has decided to increase the basic annual salary to £13,868 (an increase of 1.97%).

The salaries of leaders and members of the executive have not been increased for several years. The Panel consider that holders of these posts have significant functional responsibility. The Panel have therefore proposed a ‘modest’ increase of £800 (inclusive of the £268 increase in the basic salary).

The Panel has also mandated payment of a contribution to costs and expenses for all members of community and town councils. Previously this was not mandated for all groups of community councils, but feedback expressed disappointment in this decision, the Panel felt that any member who wanted to receive this payment should be entitled to do so.

The report also notes: “From the discussions during our visits to the principal councils it is clear that very few members are utilising the provision in the Framework to reimburse the costs of care. It appears that some members are still reluctant to claim all that they are entitled to support them in their role, because of concerns about the adverse publicity this can attract. We urge Democratic Services Committees to take steps to encourage and facilitate greater use of this element of our Framework so that members concerned are not financially disadvantaged.”

The full report can be read here.

Representations and comments on the plans should be received by 27 November 2018.

You can make your views known by writing to the:

Panel Secretariat at Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales
N03 – First Floor
North Wing
Crown Buildings
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

or by emailing [email protected]

If the proposals become firm, expect the report to surface next year in the Wrexham Council chamber where Councillors will be forced to note the report. Here is a tweet from earlier this year…

We have been told Councillors basically can’t not note this report, so if all Cllrs were subject to an unlikely skiing accident in the next few minutes which temporarily restricted arm movements… they would still have to raise their hands to note the report? 🧐

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) March 28, 2018

Interested in what the elected councillor for your area thinks about pay levels? We contacted all those who ran in the election last year for their views on ‘councillor pay, iPads as tools for the job, and allowances’. You can find out if your local councillor took part / what they said on our 2017 election section here.