North Yorkshire councillors are set to receive a 2.6 per cent increase in their allowances next year, taking their basic annual payment to more than £18,400.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive backed the proposed increase at its meeting on Tuesday, with the final decision due to be made by full council next month.
The proposed rise of £467.06 a year, equivalent to around £9 a week, would take effect in the 2027/28 financial year.
The changes would also see a 2.6 per cent increase in special responsibility allowances paid to councillors who hold senior positions or take on additional duties.
The overall cost to the council would increase by an estimated £36,059 a year.
Speaking at the meeting, executive member Cllr Simon Myers acknowledged that councillors often found discussions about their own allowances uncomfortable.
However, he pointed out that the increases would not benefit current councillors due to the election next year.
He said: “We all find it embarrassing, but this time we need to be less embarrassed because we’re not rewarding ourselves.”
He then joked about the demands placed on councillors, particularly those required to attend meetings outside normal working hours.
“Whoever may find themselves in my seat in the future, can I just advise them that if they find themselves being booked for a 6pm meeting on the Friday before Christmas in Selby, they may think they’re not paid enough!”
Barry Khan, the council’s assistant chief executive for legal and democratic services, who attended the independent panel’s meetings, emphasised that the recommendations had been made independently of the council.
He told the executive: “It can’t be overstressed that this is an independent panel.
“As an officer of the council, I cannot speak on its behalf. The panel is fiercely independent and wouldn’t thank me for suggesting that I represent it, because I don’t.
“What I would say is that the panel has worked extremely hard, looking at a wide range of data and considering responses from councillors.”
Mr Khan revealed that councillors themselves had expressed differing views on how much they should receive.
He said: “Those responses are confidential, but I don’t think I’m breaching any confidence by saying there were differing views.
“Some councillors felt allowances should be reduced, others thought they should be increased, while some believed they should stay the same.
“The panel has taken all those views into account and come forward with the recommendation before you, which is for a 2.6 per cent increase.”
The independent panel said it had considered inflation, the allowances paid by comparable local authorities, the council’s financial position and the considerable time commitment required of elected members.
It also considered the importance of ensuring that financial barriers did not discourage people from different backgrounds from standing for election.
The recommended increase is based on the Consumer Prices Index inflation rate of 2.6 per cent recorded in June 2026.
According to the council report, the annual cost of basic allowances would rise from £1.62m to £1.64m, despite the number of councillors reducing from 90 to 89 following next year’s elections.
Spending on special responsibility allowances would increase from £479,046 to £491,501.
The panel also recommended that mileage and subsistence rates should remain aligned with those paid to council officers.
A further change would prevent vice-chairs of licensing committees from receiving additional sessional payments when chairing sub-committee meetings, as they already receive a special responsibility allowance.
The recommendations will now go before a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, November 18, for a final decision.
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