The value of what councillors bring to the table was up for debate at the last Tweed Shire Council meeting (22 June). The Tweed Shire Council has been reclassified as a ‘regional strategic area’ in recognition of its large population, key economic role in the region and ‘being the largest employer and strongest growth area in the Northern Rivers’.
With the reclassification there was also the opportunity to increase the remuneration of the Mayor and Councillors, however, Councillor Warren Polgalse said he didn’t think the proposed increase was appropriate due to the current challenging financial circumstances of the council – having recently requested a special rate variation – and the difference in what the Mayor and the councillors would receive.
‘It doesn’t pass the pub test’ he told the meeting.
The proposed Notice of Motion (NoM) would see Councillors remuneration go to $32,590 (2022: $25,310) and the Mayor’s to a maximum annual amount of $127,540, this is a combination of the Mayor and councillor fee (2022: $87,820).
Diversity needed
Mayor Chris Cherry told the meeting that the wage increase ‘reflects the increased responsibilities that we have as a shire’.
Some of the other councillors were quick to come onboard and point out the amount of work they do for very little remuneration and the fact that more diversity was needed in council’s across Australia.
‘We are reading 1,000 pages about once a fortnight for each meeting. Were having to think about policy, were receiving emails all it’s all very interesting, very important. But it’s a lot. It’s supposed to be, for a councillor, one day a week, but certainly, I don’t find it to be like that,’ said Councillor Dr Nola Firth.
‘We do need to consider diversity, gender, age, socio economic, people living with disabilities,’ said Councillor Rhiannon Brinsmead.
‘I look around the room at conferences, and I don’t see a lot of diversity. What I see at conferences is my observation is they are namely older men. I don’t see diversity. I don’t see young professionals.
‘I speak to so many amazing people in the community that I think would absolutely excel in this role and the first thing that they say to me is the amount of work versus remuneration is disproportionate; and it is for that reason that they wouldn’t even consider it.
‘It’s not a part time or casual position being a counsellor either. It is so much work. Some weeks I put in as many hours to Council as I do for my full time job.’
Councillor Polglase said that he wasn’t opposed to an increase in remuneration for councillors, just not the current proposed motion. When questioned he said that ‘a five or six per cent increase overall would be quite satisfactory and would be acceptable to the community.’
The vote was four to three in favour of the motion with councillors Cherry (Mayor), Brinsmead, Firth, and Cr James Owen in favour and Cr Meredith Dennis (Deputy Mayor), Cr Reece Byrnes, Cr Polglase against.
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