A pay rise for Wirral councillors has cleared a major hurdle ahead of its formal adoption.
Despite turning down an uplift in allowances nine months ago, members of the local authority have agreed to independent recommendations that their fees be increased from next month. Should the full council agree when it meets in July, Wirral councillors will have their remuneration raised by 5% to £9,308.
At its annual general meeting last September, members of Wirral Council did not accept a proposed recommendation to increase annual pay from £8,712 to £9,148. A meeting of the constitution and standards committee meeting this evening was told that an increase should go ahead by Peter Bounds, chair of the independent panel that assesses members’ pay, to prevent a barrier to those who may wish to stand for local government but may be hesitant “because they cannot afford to do it.”
