Monmouthshire councillors’ views on £2,400 a year pay rise

Councillors in Monmouthshire have offered their views on proposals which could see their pay increase by more than £2,400 a year.

The proposed pay rise is to ensure a councillor’s basic salary matches average earnings in Wales, with the aim of attracting candidates to come forward for the local government elections in May.

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) has recommended the annual basic salary is increased from £14,368 to £16,800 following next year’s elections.

A draft report says this will “rectify the imbalance between the basic salary of councillors and the average salaries of their constituents”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jo Watkins said she was in support of the proposal.

At a meeting of Monmouthshire council’s democratic services committee on Monday, Cllr Watkins said that it was important to attract people of working age to be councillors, to be reflective of the demographic of the county.

She said many councillors dedicate a lot of hours to the role.

“It should be a properly paid, professional part-time job and that’s really important I feel that we do make sure that’s how we put forward our views in terms of the council,” Cllr Watkins said.

“If we want to attract people who are good and who are competent, they do need to be paid a good salary to do that work as well.”

Cllr Jamie Treharne said he would like to ask the panel to justify “such a large uplift” in the proposed proposed basic salary, given increases in the costs of living and ‘difficulties’ facing people.

“It’s not to say I’m against it or in favour of it in principle,” he said.

“It’s just it’s been £500 over the last three or four years and this is a £2,500 jump.”

John Pearson, local democracy manager at the council, said the proposed pay rise would cost the council about £150,000 in its budget next year.

Councillors are due to discuss the issue further at a meeting on Tuesday before offering a response to the IRPW, ahead of its final report in February.