Singleton Council will vote on Monday night on a recommendation to increase the annual Mayoral fee by 70 per cent from the current $24,630 to $42,120.
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At the same time as Mayor Sue Moore will enjoy a pay rise Councillors will also see their fees increase from $11,290/year to $19,310.
The increase is the result of a review by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal that determines the categories for councils.
Under this review Singleton Council changed categories from a Rural council to to Regional Rural one and as such fees payable to the Mayor and Councillors can be higher and can also exceed the 2.5 per cent limit that applies to councils who have not changed categories.
According to the Council’s report on the fees councillors could be paid within the range of $8,750 to $19,310 and the fee to the Mayor can range from $18,630 to $42,120.
The recommendation is to adopt the maximum fee increase.
Council’s report says the Independent Local Government Review Panels’ report identifies that the decisions of the Tribunal appear to under-value the decision making responsibilities of Councillors.
“Councillors invest significant amounts of time in preparing for and attending Council meetings, information/briefing sessions and meeting with community groups,” the report states.
“Experience has shown that the majority of councils in NSW set the Mayoral/Councillor fees at the maximum level.”
