York Councillors pay recommendations. click to enlarge
On the face of it, at a time when most workers are not expecting any increase in pay, a recommendation from an independent body that a Council chief should get a £9000 a year pay increase would be greeted with incredulity.
But that is what is being suggested in York by a group of high profile establishment figures in the City who have reported on the level of remuneration that Councillors in the City should receive for their efforts
In fairness the 8 member panel has done what they were asked to do. They were guided by previous reports which had sought to link Councillor pay to the “average wage” (actually the median male non manual wage, which for Great Britain is £152.77 per day).
Significantly the panel has failed to list the actual remuneration received by Councillors in their last “normal” job.
And that is where the mistake is made.
The worker getting “average wages” will have some qualifications – if only experience.
To seek election, Councillors need no qualifications.
As with all professions there will be the lazy and the feckless as well as the dynamic and hardworking. There are no performance statistics to help electors when they are asked to re-elect a Councillor or alternatively to select someone new. Most therefore vote for the party rather than the person. (more…)