County councillors set for 17% pay rise

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Powys County Councillors are set to be given a whopping 17% salary increase this year, it has been revealed.

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW), which decides councillors’ pay, said that the basic salary for all councillors in Wales will go up from £14,368 to £16,800.

The decision to increase councillors pay came into force after the local elections which attracted a very poor number of candidate so it is hoped that this will encourage more people to stand in future.

The the report will be discussed at the council’s annual general meeting tomorrow (Thursday), but debate and a decision will only be on how many senior salaries the council will pay as well as allowing the remuneration details to be made public. Powys is allowed to pay up to 18 senior salaries but chooses to allocate 17.

These senior positions are council leader, cabinet members, committee chairmen as well as leader of the opposition.

Head of Finance, Jane Thomas, said: “The IRPW have determined that the basic salary level for Members of principal local authorities will be uplifted by £2,432 per annum so the annual basic salary of £16,800 must be paid to all councillors.”

Ms Thomas explains that councillors can “forego” part of the whole of their basic salary if they notify her in writing.

The IRPW said they have pushed the payments up so that they “rectify the imbalance between the basic salary of councillors and the average salaries of their constituents”.

The body wants to set a ‘fair salary for councillors’ is in the hope that more can be found from all backgrounds, including younger candidates who may also work full time.

The senior salaries paid to council leaders and members of their cabinet has also shot up. In their report, the IRPW believes that council leaders should receive a salary “at or above” a backbench member of Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament and being in the cabinet should be seen as a “full time job”.

In Powys – the council leader can now receive £56,700, an increase from last year’s £49,974.

The deputy leader can receive up to £39,690, an increase from £35,320.

Cabinet members can receive up to £34,020, up from £30,773.

Committee chairmen can receive up to £25,593, up from £23,161.

Leader of the biggest opposition group can receive up to £25,593, an increase from £18,108.

The council chairman’s salary goes up to £25,593, an increase from £23,161, while the council’s vice-chairman’s salary goes up to £20,540, from £18,108.