14% wage rise for Councillors
At the full council meeting on 23rd June 2022 Rushmoor Conservative Councillors voted for a 14% a basic wage rise from £5,425 to £6,200. The vote was 21 in favour and 10 against. The Conservative leader and some senior Councillors spent the evening telling councillors that the independent report recommended the increase so it should be accepted because it was independent and councillors are not paid as much as other councillor's in other authorities. 21 councillors get a further Special Responsibility Allowances totalling £105,650 Several Conservatives made comparisons with Guildford, Southampton and Hampshire to show the difference between how much those Councillors are paid compared to Rushmoor Councillors which are not comparable with Rushmoor.
Councillor Craig Card said "The independent report on the Review of Members Allowances was dated and submitted in January 2022 and the new wage rise to start in May, why was the report held back until June? Could it have been that the Council sets its budget in February and not wanting to face the voters just weeks after giving Councillors a 14% pay rise while the Conservative party is calling for pay restraint with the UK inflation rate at 9% the highest in 40 years and expected to rise further in the coming months."
Liberal Democrat Councillors voted against this increase in wages. Liberal Democrats believe it's wrong for Councillors to take a 14% increase when public sector employee's and other workers are being offered below inflation wages rises. Councillor Craig Card added "As councillors we are neither employee's or employers of the council. We are a quasi-judicial body who set council policy and oversees its running, we do not have to accept the recommendations of the report and the 14% increase in basic wages. Liberal Democrats are also supporting the call from Labour to review the 21 special responsibility allowances. The number of special responsibility posts have increased over the years. Why is there a need for two paid Vice Chairpersons to support the Chairperson of a panel?