A pay rise for Liverpool councillors has been recommended for approval.
Members of the local authority will sign off on giving themselves a 1.75% pay uplift after its constitutional issues committee agreed to pass on the suggestions made in a report to members. The proposed uplift will be backdated to May 2021 and will increase councillors’ pay packets to £10,775 per year - a rise of £185.
The change in allowances is inline with the agreed National Jount Council (NJC) employee pay award. The total cost of payment to councillors to the annual budget is almost £1.4m.
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Cllr Steve Radford, leader of the Liberal Group, questioned the merits of the uplift. He said: “I don’t think the members’ allowances for ordinary ward members reflects the amount of work that they do and responsibilities they do.
“I think the chairmanship roles are disproportionately paid more than the workload entails so my group wouldn’t be supporting the package as a whole. That is not disagreeing with the value of ward members, if anything the scheme as it’s currently balanced, under-reflects the role of ward members and over reflects the extra burden of chairing committees.”
The total cost of payment to councillors to the annual budget is almost £1.4m. The 90 members on Liverpool Council are paid a basic allowance to cover “representative roles including acting as an advocate for the interests of the ward, dealing with constituents’ enquiries or representations, active participation in the shaping and management of services devolved to a local level, attendance at meetings of local organisations.”
In addition, councillors are provided with IT equipment and remote secure access to council systems using their own devices, as well as car park passes, member support, printing, stationery, postage and surgery costs up to a maximum of £330 per year. By comparison to other core cities, Liverpool councillors receive less than their counterparts in Manchester and Birmingham, who are awarded £17,525 and £18,681 respectively.
However, representatives in Newcastle are in receipt of less than their Liverpool colleagues, with their allowance set at £9,200. According to the council report, the elected Mayor of Liverpool, currently Joanne Anderson, receives £83,539, “which is designed to cover the activities and duties – together with any incidental cost for which no other provision is made – in respect of the discharge of the office of Elected Mayor.”
Further allowances are made for members of the city council who are also serving on Liverpool City Region Transport Committee. Chair, Cllr Liam Robinson, receives £24,308, while Cllrs Anthony Lavelle and Nathalie Nicholas, receive a basic allowance of £5,675. As Lead Member for Tunnels, Highways and Key Route Network, Cllr Nicholas is in receipt of an additional £4,433.
The council is required to take into account the view of the independent remuneration panel it is legally bound to establish to consider its pay scheme, but does not have to follow its recommendations. The pay award will be formally signed off by full council on Wednesday May 25.
