Councillors delay vote on basic allowance rise

A DECISION on whether to increase the amount of money that Middlesbrough councillors receive has been deferred for a month.

- By DANIEL HODGSON

The decision to delay was welcomed by most councillors who attended the full meeting of Middlesbrough Council on Wednesday, and what was anticipated to be a heated debate didn’t materialise.

The recommendations made, by an independent panel, were for an increase of £1,391 to the basic allowance, provided to all 46 councillors and the elected mayor, while special responsibility allowances would remain frozen.

Even if this proposal had been adopted, councillors in the town would still be the second-worst off out of the five local authorities in the Tees Valley. The other main reason highlighted for increasing allowances was because at the current comparatively low level, a wide demographic may be discouraged from standing for council.