Surrey CC’s independent remuneration panel has resigned after the council showed ‘total disregard’ for recommended allowance rises.
Councillors voted through a 59% increase in leader David Hodge’s special responsibility allowance last week, raising the sum from £27,000 to £43,000.
The move came despite recommendations from an independent panel for such rises to be limited at £35,548.
Panel chair, Cathy Rollinson, said: ‘Like most members of the public we do not believe it is right for councillors to award themselves pay rises against the advice of an independent panel.’
‘As a result of the total disregard which the county council has paid to the well-researched and cohesive proposals of the independent remuneration panel, put forward at a time when there is widespread belt tightening amongst tax payers, all three members of the panel have resigned with immediate effect.’
A council spokesperson refused to comment on the resignation of the independent remuneration panel, but said the 42 new responsibilities handed down to county councils since 2010 had ‘increased the workload for the cabinet and other senior councillors’.
‘There has been no review of allowances for four years and while that was the right thing to do at the time it is now important that they are adjusted to reflect increases in roles and responsibilities.’
