Councillors set to receive increase in councillor fees

At the June ordinary meeting of Weddin Council there was a recommendation to note the report from the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal, to set fees for councillors and the mayor and to approve to pay the deputy mayor the proportion of the mayoral fee for any time they are acting as the mayor and to approve and amend the Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy.

The recommendations were moved by Cr Phillip Diprose and seconded by Cr Jason Kenah before general manager Noreen Vu spoke on the motion.

Instead of the recommended increase, the staff recommendation would set the Councillor fee for the upcoming financial year at $13,520 and the Mayoral annual fee would be $29,500 for the 2024/25 financial year.

For the eight councillors the annual cost would be $108,160 per year to council with an added $29,500 per year for the mayor totalling $137,000 an increase of only $4.50 per month per councillor.

"We as staff had a look at the remuneration tribunal's determination, so that was an increase of 3.75 percent," Ms Vu said.

"They also provide a range in terms of what is minimum and maximum for our category, which is obviously, rural, in terms of what Councillors monthly fees are in terms of being an elected official."

The recommendation put to Council would not apply the 3.75 percent, instead they went to the maximum of the category.

"It ends up being what is pretty minor, I think it's an immaterial increase of $4.50 per month per Councillor," Ms Vu said. "The difference between the 3.75 and the maximum and then $5.95 and again an immaterial change that we're recommending."

Cr Diprose agreed with the recommendation put forward.

"I think it's customary that we go for the maximum," he said. "I think the last time I did my calculations on how many hours I spend as a Councillor versus what the amount is, I think it was 57 cents an hour, which is not exorbitant.

"I think the other thing I looked at too at one stage was other states and what they do and rural councils in Queensland, I think their minimum fee per annum is about $60,000 so nine councillors for that amount of money and we want to encourage people to stand for Council so I speak for the motion."

Cr McKellar didn't believe a payrise was needed given the current climate.

"I think we should show a bit of financial restraint here and deny ourselves an increase," he said. "We're denying applications for funding to voluntary organisations, I think we should just show a little bit of restraint and not actually accept the raise."

Cr Parlett said she believed they were making a decision on the next Council that would be elected after September and that being a small Council that deals with a number of issues the money should be used as an incentive to get people to stand for Council.

"I think that remunerating Councillors and to encourage Councillors to stand and it's not a big cost for the work that these people are going to be doing in the future," she said.

"New Councillors coming in are going to have to come on board and learn a lot very quickly, so they're going to be spending a lot more hours to begin with."

Cr Kenah agreed with Cr Parlett going on to say that Council is also not immune to the current pressures on society and the increase would encourage any new Councillors to stand.

"Council is not immune from cost of living pressures and inflation," he said. "Really, we're talking about a very, very small amount of money for a lot of work that goes in."

The motion was put to a vote and carried.