York councillors set to get pay rise

The Independent Remuneration Panel has recommended that councillors receive a basic annual allowance of £11,392 backdated to May 2023, up from £11,282.

Councillors who have special responsibilities will also receive a pay rise on their special responsibility allowance.

For example, executive members of the council will receive £20,506 - up from £20,307 - on top of their basic allowance.

The leader of the City of York Council, Coun Claire Douglas, will now receive £45,568.

The total current budget for member’s allowances is £786k per annum.

If the panel’s recommendations are accepted at full council on February 22, the budget will need to increase to around £793k per annum.

Coun Douglas said: “The council has convened a panel of independent people working or living in York to carry out the process of reviewing councillors’ allowances.

“Under York’s arrangements for allowances, this is a legal requirement every four years.

“The panel’s recommendations have just been published and all councillors will debate and vote on these proposals at the council’s 2024-25 budget setting meeting next week”.

Coun Nigel Ayre, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, said: “All previous IRPs have been done truly cross-party.

“It is extremely disappointing that Labour has not discussed this with other groups and has decided to try and slip this out with the budget papers.

“This is yet another example of their high-handed, arrogant approach to governing.

“This administration is becoming increasingly insular with their failure to consult on any of the major changes they are making within the budget.

“We call on the Labour administration to start to engage with opposition councillors and residents.”