Council Committees and Salaries
The direction of Highland Council for some time to come will be set at the meeting on Thursday 31st May 2007.
The administration of Independents and SNP will propose, and almost certainly achieve, a committee structure of 8 committees, including the return of the recently-abolished Gaelic Committee which is now full status committee. In the previous Council it was a “Select Committee” which was of reduced powers.
Resources Committee
Education Culture and Sport Committee
Housing and Social Work Committee
Transport Environmental and Community Services
Committee Planning Environment and Development Committee
Audit and Scrutiny Committee
Gaelic Committee
Inverness City Committee
Membership of these committees will be a party basis in proportion to the number of seats held.
The administration is proposing the following Senior Member posts:
Chairman of Resources Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Resources Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Education Culture and Sport Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Education Culture and Sport Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Housing and Social Work Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Housing and Social Work Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Transport Environmental and Community Services (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chair of Transport Environmental and Community Services (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Planning Environment & Development Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chair Planning Environment & Development Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Audit and Scrutiny Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Chairman of Gaelic Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Provost of Inverness (Remuneration £23,600)
Chairman of Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross Planning Applications and Review Committee
(Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Ross Skye and Lochaber Planning Applications and Review Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications and Review Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Ross Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
The Convenor’s salary is £36,055. The Vice Convener will be paid £27,041.
(These figures include the basic councillor salary of £15,452 and are NOT in addition to it.)
NOTE ON COUNCILLORS’ SALARIES
The way in which councillors are paid has been radically altered. Under the previous system, councillors received a basic payment of £7,000 – £8,000 and those who were committee chairmen or vice-chairman recieved an additional responsibility allowance. In some authorities most councillors received a responsibility allowance, while in others it was fewer.
From May 2007, under a system set up by the Scottish Executive, all councillors will receive a basic salary of £15,452. In addition Convenors, Civic Heads and senior councillor will be paid at higher levels, depending on the size of the authority. Only one quarter of the authority will be able to receive payment at the higher level.
As a Band C authority Highland Council levels are set as follows:
A) Councillor (59 members) – £15,452
B) Senior Councillor (19 members) – £18,600, £19,600 or £23,600
C) Convenor (1 member) – £36,055
D) Vice-convenor (1 member) – £27,041
The basic salary is included in the figures for Senior Councillor, Convenor, and Vice-convenor.
Only the Senior Councillor figures were decided by the Council, and that was within a total figure set by the Scottish Executive.