Councillors in Brighton and Hove could soon be paid a five-figure sum at the same time as residents face their biggest-ever council tax bills.

The news comes as the authority struggles to fill an £18 million gap in finances.

An independent panel is recommending the basic annual allowance for city councillors should rise from £8,000 to £10,195.

It says the leader of the council, currently Ken Bodfish, has high responsibility and works at least a full-time week.

If councillors agree, his allowance would rise from £22,000 to £26,208 a year.

There would also be a big rise in special responsibility allow- ances for other senior members.

This follows a 14.5 per cent rise in council tax payments this year, the first time the average annual bill has hit £1,000.

The number of councillors was cut from 78 to 54 earlier this year and the total paid was expected to fall. As part of the panel's inquiry, nearly all councillors filled in diaries and more than half made written submissions.

The panel's report says: "Many members have expressed the view to us that the role of a councillor should not become a full-time, salaried position."

A proportion of time should be accepted as voluntary commitment but the report adds: "We believe that the council should provide a package of financial support which is reasonable and will go some way towards addressing disincentives from serving in local politics."

Councillors now had a greater workload because there were fewer of them.

And because there was no overall control of the council, there were many more informal meetings.

The analysis of diary sheets indicated that the average number of hours worked by councillors not holding positions of special responsibility increased from 17 hours per week in 2002 to 28 hours per week in 2003. Time spent dealing with calls and messages was not included.

On inflation alone, the basic allowance of £8,000 would have risen to £9,092 since the last increase four years ago.

If the recommendation is agreed, the sum would be backdated to the start of the council year in May.

The deputy leader's allowance would rise to £15,725 from £11,000.

The leader of the main opposition group, currently Tory councillor Brian Oxley, would get £12,580 rather than £10,000 as the postholder now exerts more influence over council business.

Payment to the deputy chair of the policy committee responsible for the budget would be £11,007 while councillors chairing other main committees would get £9,959.

The chief whip and council liaison officer would get the same.

Other payments would also go up, including a rise of 25 per cent on rates for meals such as breakfast, lunch and tea which would be £6.50, £8.50 and £3.50.

The panel also suggested a pension scheme for councillors but officers are recommending this should be deferred for a financial assessment.

Labour finance councillor Simon Burgess said the council would remain aware it was facing a large budget deficit.

He said the group would discuss the issue shortly and added: "We have to look at it carefully."

Tory opposition leader Brian Oxley said: "The independent panel has made it clear there are issues to be resolved."

He said councillors had many more responsibilities since May and added: "We are all working our socks off."

Green convenor Keith Taylor said: "No one would do it for the money, you do it for public service. If this is proposed, councillors will lose less money.

He said the panel had done a reasonable job but added the money proposed was not really a living wage for full-time councillors.

Lib Dem leader Paul Elgood said: "The panel has made proposals and the council should accept them.

"They have come from outside the political arena and overall the cost will be less."

He felt the panel's pensions proposals should also have been accepted.

Tuesday November 11, 2003