Northern Ireland

Council defers decision on proposed 81 per cent pay hike for Antrim and Newtownabbey mayor

DUP councillor John Smyth, mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
DUP councillor John Smyth, mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council DUP councillor John Smyth, mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

A COUNCIL has deferred a decision on plans to give its mayor an 81 per cent pay hike.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is proposing to nearly double the mayor's pay from £13,797 to £25,000.

This is on top of the basic annual wage already received by councillors of around £15,000 – meaning the mayor would be set to earn £40,000.

It would make Antrim and Newtownabbey's civic leader the fourth highest earning across the north's 11 councils.

The council is also proposing to increase the deputy mayor's pay from £9,021 to £11,000 and raise the allowances paid for roles such as chairing committees.

SDLP councillor Ryan Wilson described the proposed pay rise for the mayor as "obscene when many residents rely on food banks".

He urged councillors to reject the proposals and to cap future rises to the level awarded to the council's own staff.

Councillors on Monday agreed to postpone a decision until next month to further examine the proposals and for officials to provide details on wages in other local authorities.

Sinn Féin councillor Michael Goodman, who proposed the deferral, said: "It would be wrong to take a decision without having had the opportunity to fully explore the issue and what is being proposed."

The current mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey is DUP councillor John Smyth and the deputy mayor is Sinn Féin councillor Anne Marie Logue.

The posts, which involve representing the council at many civic and ceremonial events, change hands each year and are annually elected by fellow councillors.

Belfast City Council has the highest paid lord mayor in the north at £34,800 on top of the basic councillor wage, while the lowest paid is in Fermanagh and Omagh council where the chairperson receives an extra £10,000.