The level of allowances are recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel, made up of people independent of the council.
All councillors (or elected members as they are also known) receive a basic allowance of £8,744 to perform their duties. These include:
- preparing for and attending all formal and informal meetings that they are invited to
- meetings with constituents
- dealing with enquiries from their constituents
Some elected members receive an additional allowance for any special responsibility that they might have as a member of the council, such as being a Cabinet Member or a committee chairman.
These documents show the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the Decisions of the County Council on Members' Allowances: