Yarmouth councillors paid the lowest allowances in Norfolk and Suffolk
Hundreds of orders were granted by magistrates last week to collect unpaid council tax. Picture: James Bass - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2014
Borough councillors in Yarmouth are paid lowest rate of allowances in the Norfolk and Suffolk, a report has shown.
Members at Great Yarmouth Borough Council will be asked tonight to decide whether to up their allowances, after a monitoring panel found they hadn't changed in seven years.
A report prepared by the council's independent remunerations panel (IRP) outlined how it was a legal obligation to review payments at least once every four years. But the last time a panel was formed and allowances looked at was in 2009.
The panel, which was set up in January, also said: 'Other councils have reviewed their allowances at least once and often twice during this period.
'Great Yarmouth Borough Council now has the lowest allowances in both Suffolk and Norfolk.'
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The cost of raising allowances looks to be around £9,795 but it was thought to be difficult to estimate the cost, because of the recent change from a cabinet governance system to a committee system.
All councillors are entitled to a basic allowance, which the IRP is recommending should be set at £4,510 a year.
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Councillors with extra responsibilities are then given more based on what they do. The IRP recommended that these rates also be upped, by varying amounts depending on the role.
They also said that because of the change in system, there should be another review in 2017.
