Issue - meetings

Report by Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

The Council is required by regulation to have an Independent Remuneration Panel to assess councillors’ allowances make recommendations, as appropriate, the Council. The report outlines the recommendations from the meeting of the IRP on 1 December 2023.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to adopt the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel:

1.     To increase councillor allowances by 5.7% with effect from 1 April 2023 in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the 2023-24 local government pay award.

2.     In future years, to increase all councillor, independent member and co-optee allowances in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the local government pay award. This will be limited to the four-year term of each council.

Recommendations approved as amended:

1.    To increase councillor allowances by 5.7% with effect from 1 April 2023 in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the 2023-24 local government pay award.

2.    In future years, to increase all councillor, independent member and co-optee allowances in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the local government pay award. This is limited to a four-year term of each council period ending in financial year 2025-26.

Council considered a report outlining the recommendations from the meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) on 1 December 2023.

The Chair thanked the members of the IRP for their work, in particular for how quickly they had met to assess allowances after the finalisation of the 2023-24 staff pay award.

The Chair proposed the recommendations and the Vice-Chair seconded.  The proposers also moved an amendment to the recommendations as published Addenda 2 as follows:

1.     To increase councillor allowances by 5.7% with effect from 1 April 2023 in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the 2023-24 local government pay award.

2.     In future years, to increase all councillor, independent member and co-optee allowances in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the local government pay award. This is limited to a four-year term of each council period ending in financial year 2025-26.

Following debate, the recommendations as amended were approved with 26 votes in favour, 0 against and 22 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

3.     To increase councillor allowances by 5.7% with effect from 1 April 2023 in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the 2023-24 local government pay award.

4.     In future years, to increase all councillor, independent member and co-optee allowances in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the local government pay award. This is limited to a four-year period ending in financial year 2025-26.