Just a single councillor opts out of pay increase

ONLY one North Tyneside councillor has opted to decline their recently boosted allowances, it has been revealed.

- By AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

Councillors voted through a set of pay rises for themselves in September - a move which was branded “obscene” by opponents.

A £130,000 annual rise in allowances across the Labour-run area's councillors was signed off on the recommendation of an independent remuneration panel. It will see some members receive uplifts of nearly £8,000. The largest uplifts will see the additional special responsibility allowance given to deputy mayor Carl Johnson increase by more than £6,000 and for cabinet members by nearly £8,000, rises of 85% and 235% respectively.

A councillor’s basic allowance will increase from £10,829 to £11,176, while elected mayor Karen Clark’s salary will jump from £68,499 to £70,691, both up by around 3%.

In the light of a Conservative group motion at the latest full council, calling for councillors to scrap their recently approved allowances, it was revealed that only one councillor, out of 60, contacted officers to opt out of the increase.