THE WEST Midlands Mayor Andy Street is set to turn down a proposed £16,000 increase in his allowance.
The Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) review into the level of allowances paid to members of West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) boards will be considered at a meeting this Friday, October 28.
The recommendations include increasing the Mayoral Allowance from £79,000 to £95,000, but Mr Street has told the Combined Authority’s chief executive that he intends to keep his salary at the same level it has been since he was elected in 2017.
“It would be deeply inappropriate for me to even consider a rise at a time of hardship for so many,” he said.
The IRP will also be considering setting up a Deputy Mayoral Allowance of £31,675, backdated to last May.
Deputy Mayor Councillor Bob Sleigh has previously said he would only be prepared to take a maximum of £10,000 for the additional role while he remained as a Solihull councillor and cabinet member.
Other proposals include paying the chair of the overview and scrutiny committee £6,650 a year backdated to last May, and giving the chair of the audit, risk and assurance committee a £9,500 yearly allowance.
The board will be recommended to accept all IRP suggestions, except for one that constituent authorities set a £9,500 additional responsibility allowance for portfolio leaders.
Instead, the board has been recommended to write to the government requesting an amendment to WMCA regulations, which would give them the ability to pay its members and co-opted members.
In making its recommendations, the IRP conducted a thorough review of members allowances and looked into the allowances paid at similar organisations across the country.
