The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Pay for councillors to be debated as new Angus Council meets.
MEETING: New administration to begin by examining report into pay
The first meeting of the new Angus Council next week will debate the additional salary paid to the provost and other senior councillors.
As discussions continue between non-SNP councillors about forming the next administration in the wake of Thursday’s election, a report setting out the flexibility in the amount paid to senior members has been produced by officers.
Under government regulations, Angus Council’s leader must receive a salary of £33,857 for the 2017-18 year.
Councillors who do not hold any senior positions will receive a salary of £16,927.
However, there is wiggle room in the number of councillors classed as senior and the amount they are paid.
The council may – but is not required to – pay the provost a salary of up to a maximum of 75% of the leader’s salary, a maximum of £25,393.
In addition to the leader of the council and a civic head, the council can have up to a maximum of 13 senior councillors.
These are typically the depute leader, committee conveners and certain vice-conveners but could also be the leader of a significant non-administration group.
The maximum sum the council can pay its senior councillors is a total £275,080 and the most a senior councillor can be paid is 75% of the leader’s salary.
If the maximum salary is applied, the council would only be able to appoint 10 senior councillors.
In the last financial year, the council leader was paid £33,789, the depute leader and provost both received £25,341, four conveners and three spokesperson roles were paid £22,673 each and two vice-conveners £18,095. Other councillors received £16,893.
The total cost was £566,553 which rose to just under £700,000 when national insurance and superannuation payments were taken into account.
The report prepared by service manager Steven Mill states: “The full-year cost of the current pay structure for Angus Council is £697,000 based upon 2016-17 remuneration rates. There is budget provision of £698,000 for 2017-18.
“If the council determines that councillors were to be remunerated at the maximum permitted under the regulations, and all councillors elected to join the pension scheme, the full-year cost would be £695,000 for the reduced complement of 28 elected members.”