£25,000 a year for two West Sussex county councillors

Councillors' allowances are going up from next year '“ well above the rate of inflation and against a backdrop of financial difficulty.West Sussex County Council has authorised a £3,377 rise in 'special responsibility' allowances for Leader Henry Smith and Chairman Margaret Johnson.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Dec 2005, 15:42 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:07 BST

Cabinet members got a rise of more than 2,000 each authorised by full council on Friday (December 16), bringing their special responsibility allowances up to 14,790 a year.

But while the elite on the council got rises of more than five times the rate of inflation '“ around 15 per cent '“ the basic allowances for councillors with no special responsibilities only rose in line with inflation '“ around 3 per cent or just under 300 to 9,302.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Independent Remuneration Panel which recommended the increases said the prime motivation for becoming a county councillor is and should remain 'public service rather than material reward'.

Criteria also set out by the Independent Remuneration Panel also included 'taking into account the desirability of attracting a greater number of younger, working people to take part in local government'.

But Cllr Mike Hall, the member for Boxgrove, said the discrepancies between the elite and the ordinary members would only serve to put potential new county councillors off.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette, December 22.

Related topics:CouncillorsHenry SmithWest Sussex County Council