“Obscene” 16.9% councillor pay rise to cost Conwy Council £146,000

Conwy councillors will receive a collective £146,000 pay rise – with the leader alone enjoying an extra £6,700 a year.

The democratic services committee voted in favour of a council report, detailing the increases that come into effect on May 9 after local government elections.

The increases are set by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW), not the council itself.

But whilst the IRPW set the amount that can’t be altered, councillors did have some control over paying top-ups for ‘civic salaries’ for some additional roles.

Consequently, the chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Planning Committee, Governance and Audit Committee, General/Statutory Licensing

Committee, and Democratic Services Committee all received a rise after councillors voted in favour of the increase.

Councillors can refuse an increase on an individual basis.

The changes mean a basic councillor salary will rise from £14,368 to £16,800 a year, but the leader will be paid £56,700 a year, rising from the old amount of £49,974 – an increase of £6,726.
The deputy leader will also receive £39,690, rising from £35,320, an increase of £4,370.

Cabinet members will be paid £34,020, rising from £30,773, an increase of £3,247, and committee chairs will receive £25,593 – rising from £23,161, an increase of £2,432.

Civic Head heads will also see their pay increase from £23,161 to £25,593, and the deputy Civic Head’s salary will increase from £18,108 to £20,540.

Cllr Chris Cater proposed councillors voted in favour of the report, and Cllr Sue Shotter seconded it.

Seven councillors voted in favour; Councillors Phillip Evans and Sue Shotter abstained, and Cllr Harry Saville voted against the proposals.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Harry Saville slammed the pay rise.
“This planned 16.9% pay rise for councillors is obscene, especially as most people are having to get to grips with the economic fallout of COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
“It’s astonishing that the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales – the Welsh Government quango which sets councillors’ pay – should think that this kind of pay rise is appropriate.”

He added: “One aspect of councillors’ pay that individual local authorities can control is whether to award increased ‘Senior Salaries’ to committee chairs.  I’ve previously recommended that the council cut these senior salaries to reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.”
Councillor salaries don’t include the amounts members are able to claim back for travel costs – such as rail, air or taxi journeys – overnight stays and ‘sustenance’.

The IRPW say the increase would rectify the imbalance between the basic councillor salaries and the average salaries of constituents.

The matter was discussed at an earlier meeting in November, in which councillors compared their 16.9% pay rise to the 1.75% offered to council staff. Councillors expressed concern about public perception, with some describing the increase as ‘inappropriate’, especially after the COVID pandemic.

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter