Horsham councillors have agreed to increase their basic allowance from £6,786 to £7,003.15 in 2026/27.
The increase to the allowance, which is received by all councillors, was approved during a meeting of the full council on Wednesday (April 15).
Council leader Martin Boffey will see his special responsibility allowance rise from £18,661 to £19,258.15, while that for cabinet members will rise from £8,272.35 to £8,537.07.
The changes were recommended in a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel, though the council did not have to accept them. But, as Mr Boffey said, not going with the recommendations would "start to call the whole process into question".
Describing allowances as "a tricky subject’" he pondered the conflict between the cost of living crisis and the councillors "voting for our own pay rises".
He added: “At the same time we have to make sure that we have an allowance scheme that enables the broadest possible participation in the work of the council from those who might not necessarily be able to take up the role to do that if those allowances are not there.”
The panel had been asked to consider the special responsibility allowances for the chairs and vice-chairs of the various policy and scrutiny committees, as well as an attendance allowance for members of the licensing sub-committees.
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They were also asked to consider making a provision in the scheme for future legislation that would require the council to enable councillors to have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Some of the approved allowances included £6,222.61 for the chairman of the council – up from £6,029.66 in 2025/26. The leaders of each minority group with three or more councillors will receive £258 per councillor – up from £250 in 2025/26. And the chairman of the planning committee will receive £7,224 – up from £7,000.
Councillors are only allowed to claim one special responsibility allowance on top of their basic allowance.
