Salaries and Allowances Tribunal hands WA council chief executives another tidy four per cent pay bump

Well-paid council bosses have been handed a four per cent pay bump, putting the maximum salary for a metropolitan chief executive at almost $440,000 a year. It’s the fourth straight year the independent Salaries and Allowances Tribunal has handed out a rise for council chief executives — who have seen pay bands increase by 15.5 per cent since 2021. Councils use the bands to set pay for chief executives within the range. Band one councils — such as those across Perth and large regional cities — sit within a range of between $288,000 and $439,000. Mayors and councillors were also given a 3.5 per cent rise. For tier one councils, mayors will be able to pocket up to $153,000 in sitting fees, not including expenses and other allowances. And councillors will see their annual attendance fees rise to $35,000. But the Tribunal upheld its long-formed view that elected members should not receive a full-time salary. “The Tribunal maintains that elected council members’ fees should be set to compensate costs for the prescribed role of an elected council member,” it stated. “The role of an elected council member was specifically described as not being a full-time occupation.” The Tribunal sets the limits of the bands for each tier of council, which are determined by the size of their workload. However, it flagged a further review of the range at the end of the year. “The Tribunal resolved to conduct a comprehensive survey of the remuneration provided to local government chief executives and the fees and allowances provided to elected council members,” the determination read. “As the Tribunal determines the bands for local governments, it is essential that the Tribunal has visibility as to where local governments are placed within these bands in order to ensure the suitability of the band ranges and other allowances.” It comes ahead of council elections in October, after which new laws will come into place mandating councillors from the State’s biggest cities receive superannuation on top of salaries.