LOGAN City councillors received a payrise on July 1, leaving mayor Luke Smith in the second-highest pay category for mayors in Queensland alongside the mayors of Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast regional councils.
Councillors do not get to vote themselves a raise, rather the decision is taken by the Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal (LGRDT).
According to an LGRDT report, the increase takes Cr Smith’s annual salary to $218,896, deputy mayor Cherie Dalley’s to $151,663 and the city councillors’ to $132,901.
A spokesperson from the mayor’s office said the local authority followed the remuneration set by the tribunal.
“The salary rates of local government elected representatives are set by the independent Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal, of which council is not involved,” they said.
- Read more: Silent protest at council meeting
- Read more: Budget blessing from former PM
- Read more: Aspirational budget for Logan City
In 2015, Logan City Council was classified by the tribunal as a second-top tier council (category 7 in graph below) alongside Moreton Bay Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
The July 1 payrise awarded by the tribunal has not changed this.
In determining its decision on salaries, the tribunal report says it took into account a Consumer Price Index rise of 1.6 per cent for Queensland and a Wage Price Index increase of 1.9pc.
It also took into account a 2.25pc rise for state politicians and a 2pc increase for federal politicians last year, the only increase they had had since 2013.
Other factors included continuing financial pressure being experienced by many local governments and a conservative approach to remuneration held by the tribunal.
- with Brian Williams and Hannah Baker