What city’s 75 councillors will be paid in 2018

THE amount that Cardiff’s 75 councillors will be paid for the next year has been confirmed.

Top paid is council leader Huw Thomas who gets £53,100. There is then a graded system for the deputy leader, cabinet members, chairs of committees and backbenchers. The basic allowance has gone up this year by £100 to £13,400.

Cardiff is allowed to offer 19 senior salaries and all of those are being used. The deputy leader, Cathays councillor Sarah Merry, receives £37,100.

The cabinet members each get £32,100. They are: Peter Bradbury (Caerau); Susan Elsmore (Canton); Russell Goodway (Ely); Graham Hinchey (Heath); Michael Michael (Trowbridge); Lynda Thorne (Grangetown); Chris Weaver (Cathays) and Caro Wild (Riverside).

Lord Mayor Bob Derbyshire has a civic salary of £24,100. His deputy Plasnewydd councillor Daniel De’Ath receives a civic salary of £18,100.

There are five scrutiny committee chairs, head of the planning committee and licensing and public protection committee. They all receive £22,100.

They are: Lee Bridgeman, Llanrumney (Children and Young People); Mary McGarry, Plasnewydd (Community and adult services); Nigel Howells, Adamsdown (Economy and culture); Ramesh Patel, Canton (Environmental); David Walker (Policy review and performance scrutiny).

The Conservative leader Adrian Robson gets £22,100. And the leader of the Lib Dems, Joe Boyle, gets £17,100.

The amounts are determined by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales. That group was set up in 2008 to recommend the levels of salaries, allowances and expenses payable to councillors. The changes to the cabinet under new leader Huw Thomas has seen another cabinet position introduced, which is a rise of £32,100 to the wage bill. But he has reduced the number of committee chairs by one, saving £22,100.

The increase in basic salary means an overall rise of £17,500 in the bill.

The amount given to each authority is determined on its size. Cardiff, as Wales’ biggest authority, can offer the maximum. Rhondda Cynon Taf has the same allowances.

Bridgend, Caerphilly and the Vale of Glamorgan are in the second band while Merthyr is in the third band.