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Isle Of Wight Councillors To Discuss Potential Pay Increase Next Week

Isle of Wight councillors are not likely to award themselves a pay rise this year, when they meet on March 15.

Allowances — for services to the local authority — have not risen above a basic rate, since March 2020.

When they last discussed pay, in January 2022, councillors agreed on £8,232 per annum — with extra for cabinet members, leaders and those with additional responsibilities.

On top of that basic allowance, a nationally-agreed cost-of-living award is added on — which was £600 in 2022/23.

It means, in 2023/24, they will be taking home a basic allowance of at least £8,832.

We do not yet know how much the cost of living award will be for 2023/4.

Extra reimbursement is also paid for travel incurred on council business.

It is available in two ways: for off-Island travel; and via a lump-sum, determined by the distance between County Hall and the councillor’s home, as well as what position they hold at the local authority.

Leader, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, will have received nearly £26,500, between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

Councillors can also choose whether or not to accept their allowances in the first place.

Whatever is decided, the bill for councillors is going up — paid for by public funds.

The total budget for members’ allowances, including on-Island travel, is £504,924 for 2023/24  — before a cost of living rise, which must also be funded locally.

In 2022/3, the allowance budget went £23,000 over what had been planned for.

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