Council pay rise could soar by 36%

An independent panel has recommended that allowances paid to members with special responsibilities should be raised only in line with an index-linking formula.

But the county council's governance committee did not accept this, and is proposing inflation-busting increases for some senior councillors.

Coming after a series of hefty increases in council tax in recent years, the move is certain to provoke strong reactions.

The special responsibility allowances are paid on top of a basic allowance given to all county councillors, currently standing at 10,546 a year.

If the committee's conclusions are accepted at a full council meeting tomorrow (Friday), council leader Henry Smith will see his special responsibility allowance boosted from 26,523 to 29,394 a year.

Members of the county cabinet will receive an increase from 15,691 to 18,283. Three non-executive committee chairmen will see their pay go up from 6,582 to 8,989.

But special allowances paid to other members, including the chairman of the county council and leaders of minority groups, will go up only in line with the normal index-linking formula.