FIVE Conservative county councillors will refuse to pocket any increase in their allowances if changes are voted through today.

Councillors Kieron Mallon, Lawrie Stratford, Arash Fatemian, Michael Waine and George Reynolds have said they would not accept the controversial allowance rise – a 19 per cent increase in the basic rate to £10,000.

Other allowances for senior cabinet positions are also proposed to be increased – whilst the leader of the opposition would see a decrease – under recommendations the full council is debating today.

In total the allowances bill would rise by £150,000 a year.

But the proposal from an independent remuneration panel comes at a time when the council has warned its staff that an £11m budget deficit might impact on jobs and it has just announced it must make another £20m in service cuts.

The five councillors will vote for the increases but will not personally accept them.

In a letter to the Oxford Mail, they wrote: “We, the undersigned, being Conservative councillors on Oxfordshire County Council representing divisions in north-east Oxfordshire, are giving notice of our intent to forgo our entitlement to any increase in either the basic allowance or special responsibility allowance paid to councillors during this current council term which ends in 2017.

“Given the position of public sector finance, both nationally and facing Oxfordshire County Council, the important decisions that still await us and with many workers receiving limited pay increases, we feel it is important to exercise restraint at this time.

“When this matter comes for debate at the full council, we will support the recommendations made by the Independent Panel.

“We wish to recognise the work undertaken by the panel and believe it is not for us as councillors to determine our own allowances, we also do not wish to prejudice any incoming councillors in 2017.

“However, as stated above we will instruct the county council not to alter the amounts we receive for the remainder of this term.”

The proposed changes are

  • Basic councillors' allowance to rise from £8,376 to £10,000 (+19%)
  • The leader’s allowance will rise from £25,131 to £29,000 (+15%)
  • The deputy leader’s allowance will rise from £16,754 to £20,000 (+19%)
  • Cabinet members’ allowances will rise from £12,565 to £16,000 (+27%)
  • The leader of the opposition’s allowance will fall from £12,565 to £8,000 (-36%)
  • Scrutiny committee chairmen’s allowance will rise from £5,050 to £6,000.

An online Oxford Mail poll over the proposed basic allowance is running at 93 per cent against the increase.

The meeting is happening today and we will have the result as soon as it is available.

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