JUST because someone offers you something, should you take it?
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That is the question facing Newcastle councillors on Tuesday night, when they sit down to an agenda that not only includes the rezoning of the Newcastle rail corridor, but the equally vexing question of how much to award themselves in remuneration for the coming three years.
There’s a lot in it for all concerned. In April, the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal set a new range of council fees, saying “the majority of councils will receive an increase of 2.5 per cent”. But the fine print shows that Newcastle councillors will receive much more than that if they vote in line with their staff’s recommendation to take the maximum offer.
Endorsing the recommendation would give Newcastle councillors a 16 per cent fee increase to $30,500. Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes would see her remuneration go from 102,610 to $125,000, an increase of 24 per cent.
In assessing whether these amounts are considered high, low or somewhere in between, it should be remembered that councillors have a number of their expenses paid for them, and that only the lord mayoral position is regarded as a full-time job.
The Newcastle Herald is fully aware that being a local councillor can be a demanding role to fill, but everyone who puts their hand up to run for local government knows – or should know – the sacrifices the position will inevitably entail.
Unfortunately for ratepayers, Tuesday’s council agenda provides no real reason why the staff are recommending the councillors vote themselves the maximum increase.
Interestingly – with the same remuneration tribunal report as part of the agenda – the council had already resolved on June 27 to take no pay increase for the 2017/18 year and to put the foregone 2.5 per cent towards improving the Wallsend public domain.
Now, without any obvious explanation for the change of heart, the recommendation is to take the maximum possible increases from January 1. And for the next three years, rather than being considered annually, which was previously the case.
There will rarely if ever be a popular time for elected officials to grant themselves pay rises. Newcastle councillors have had modest pay increases at best in recent years, but so have the majority of Australians.
This could be a time for councillors to leave something on the table.
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