A FORMER Wodonga mayor believes she and her councillor colleagues are being overpaid and wants to know whether others think the same.
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On Monday night councillors voted unanimously in favour of allowances being set at the maximum level for the council — $22,018 for a councillor and $68,125 a year for Mayor Mark Byatt, who also holds down the top job at peak tourism group Destination Albury-Wodonga.
The rates will be advertised for public comment before being debated at the May meeting.
But Lisa Mahood, who was mayor from 2002 to 2006, believes the upper limit for councillor allowances should be reserved for those doing the jobs full-time.
She says there are only so many hours in the day for people with full-time jobs to commit to the council and is concerned the growing economic uncertainty makes the 40 per cent pay rise unpalatable.
Cr Mahood said she struggled to agree to publish the rates for comment, questioning the process mid-meeting.
“I know we will get a chance to vote and speak about this in May but I’m not sure it should get to that,” she said.
“If you are in full-time employment you have only limited hours for the job, so you can’t take the full allowance.
“Across the state people have stood down from their jobs for their terms as mayor.
“My understanding was that was part of the thinking when the allowance were increased 40 per cent last year — that the full amount was for a full-time mayor or councillor.”
Cr Mahood wants to hear from others.
“I haven’t really pressure-tested this idea, it is my thoughts but I’d expect others might think the same,” she said.
“I hope people take the chance to make their comments about the allowances in the next month.”
On Monday night first-term councillor Ed Foulston spoke passionately for the allowance.
“The mayor’s job is not nine to five,” he said.
“It is 24/7, at the beck and call of the community and highly disruptive to the councillor’s public and private life.”
Former mayor Cr Rod Wangman endorsed the rates on Monday night saying tax would claim most of a working councillor’s allowance.
“From experience I know that it is a 40, 50, sometimes 60-hour a week job,” he said.
The new rates for councillors and mayors were announced last year.
