Manningham councillors defer proposed pay rise following public backlash and impact of coronavirus
Manningham councillors have bowed to public pressure and put a proposed pay rise on hold. But it didn’t stop the mayor from taking a swipe at one objector.
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Public backlash and the impact of coronavirus has forced Manningham’s councillors to put off their proposed pay rise.
But it didn’t stop Mayor Paul McLeish from taking a swipe at a former councillor for an “ill-informed” submission which questioned how hard they work.
The councillors unanimously agreed to defer a vote on the pay rise — which would have given Cr McLeish almost $20,000 more and the other eight councillors an extra $5000 — until after the council’s October election.
It will now be revisited at the council’s December meeting.
The pay rise, approved by Local Government Minister Adam Somyurek late last year, was set to bring the councillors’ wages in line with other similar-sized nearby councils.
Cr McLeish was set to earn $100,434, up from $81,204, and the other eight councillors were to receive $31,444, up from $26,245.
The council put the proposed rise out for public consultation in March and received 16 submissions, with all but one not supporting it.
After the vote, Cr McLeish addressed a submission from a former councillor — who he did not name — after they criticised individual councillors’ efforts.
“I find it very disappointing that the ill-informed contribution by a former councillor, reflecting poorly on those councillors … should be somehow wrapped up in a submission about councillor allowances,” he said.
”When you use that as a vehicle to attack councillors sitting around this table, I think that is most disappointing, and not the sort of practice I would expect to occur from a former councillor.”
“I know how hard the nine councillors around this table work, I know what their contribution is.
“To have the names of current sitting councillors, denigrating their contribution and performance is incredibly disappointing and does not reflect reality.”
Warrandyte business owner Mary Anne Lowe, whose Change.org petition against the pay rise attracted more than 350 signatures, welcomed the decision.
“I would have been very surprised if they (councillors) voted any other way given the public reaction in the past few weeks,” she said.
“Whether the community rallying around and opposing it made a difference I’m not sure, but I think it did.
“If it means councillors sit and take notice, it’s a win for the people and the community.”
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The decision came as the council also approved also approved a $3.8 million community support package following the coronavirus outbreak.
It includes $1 million towards relief for the most needy members of the community, free rent for sports clubs and community groups at council facilities, discounts on permits for businesses and additional support for older residents.