Skip to content

Councils seek volunteers to recommend councillors’ allowances

Released on August 27, 2020

South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council are looking for volunteers to join an Independent Remuneration Panel to help review councillors’ allowances. 

Are you passionate about the local area? Would you like to be involved in setting councillors’ expenses and allowances that are reasonable for the work they do?

The councils are together looking to fill voluntary vacancies on a Joint Independent Remuneration Panel which will commence its work in October 2020.  The panel will consist of at least two members of the public supported by South East Employers.  It will meet to help produce a report, with the assistance of officers, and make recommendations to the councils about the allowances to pay elected councillors. 

The panel will look to ensure local councillors give value for money, but also that they are not seriously out of pocket.  The panel will look at aspects such as pay for comparable jobs, the responsibilities of different councillor roles, and the hours councillors work.  

By law, the councils are required to appoint a panel of independent people.  We are inviting members of the local community, the business community or voluntary organisations to apply.  Almost anyone eligible to stand as a district councillor can be on the panel although there are a few exclusions to ensure the panel is truly independent.  However, we do require that the Panel members have no interest that prohibits membership, such as being active in a political party, having a close personal relationship with a serving councillor or being a parish or town councillor in South Oxfordshire or Vale of White Horse district council areas. Nevertheless, we are very interested in applicants who work in either council area or are part of the local community.

We would expect successful candidates to serve in the roles until May 2024 although after this initial review there is very little commitment needed.  Although this is a purely voluntary role, reimbursement of travel will be made. Due to Covid-19 meetings of the Panel may be held virtually.   

Applications must be in by mid September 2020.  For more information, email democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk or call on 01235 422523.  Please click for the application form (104.0 KB)  and letter (300.5 KB)  .