Freeze allowances, says review panel (From Witney Gazette)

Freeze allowances, says review panel

6:52am Wednesday 16th January 2008 in Witney By David Horne

THE money paid to all 49 district councillors in west Oxfordshire should be frozen at the same amount during the coming year.

That is the recommendation of an Independent Remuneration Panel reviewing basic and special responsibility allowances.

Each councillor is currently paid a basic £4,200. At the top end, the council leader Barry Norton receives an extra £18,900 for his special responsibilities.

His pay cheque of £23,100 a year would remain the same in 2008-9 if the panel's findings are accepted by the full council at its meeting today.

Other top allowances are for the deputy leader Verena Hunt, at £16,800 a year, and the other five decision-making cabinet members receive £14,700.

The total allowances bill is in the region of £320,000.

Councillors can also claim travel and subsistence allowances, as well as one for childcare while they are at meetings or on council business.

Jo Capek, chairman of the panel, said that no assesmment could accurately be made at this stage of whether there was any significant change in the workload of councillors.

Linking allowances to the rate of inflation is to be looked at in future years.

"Principal is our desire to maintain the council's very high position in the percentiles of allowances for the South East, seeing this as an acknowledgement of the councillors' very high performance and thus a justifiable expenditure on a value for money basis," he added.

West Oxfordshire has the second lowest council tax demand in the country for district councils.

It levies £71.36 for an average Band D household, which is expected to increase in 2008-9 to £74.88, a 4.9 per cent increase.