Councillors ‘are paid peanuts’

By Glen Atwell and Shaun Inguanzo
PAY peanuts and end up with monkeys.
That was Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey’s critical view this week of the $18,000 councillor salary at Greater Dandenong Council.
Her comment came as she welcomed news this week of a State Government review of Victorian councillor wages, with the likelihood they will rise.
Cr Sampey said that the $18,000 a year wage at Greater Dandenong, was more of a deterrent to people entering local government than an enticement.
“People just don’t want to become councillors any more,” she said.
“For someone supporting a family, the current money would not be enough.”
Greater Dandenong councillors are currently paid $18,000 each year, and the mayor $57,000. They also receive a council-paid mobile phone, landline and computer.
Cr Sampey said she dedicated more than 40 hours a week and a number of late nights to her council activities.
“When you consider the amount of hours most councillors put into their wards, the money is peanuts,” she said.
“If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.”
But not all councillors feel the same way.
Dandenong North Ward councillor John Kelly said he was more than happy with his current salary.
“If anything, we probably get paid too much. I’m sure the voters did not vote me in to approve a councillor pay rise,” he said.
Cr Kelly said he recognised that councillors spent a lot of time representing their ward, but the issue was time management not increasing salaries.
“I’ve run my own business for 30 years and have learnt to separate my personal, business and council lives,” he said.
Cleeland Ward councillor Paul Donovan said if councillors were paid more, they could dedicate more time to local issues.
“It could mean that we end up with better councillors,” he said.
Keysborough Ward councillor Roz Blades said wages weren’t an issue when she joined the former Springvale Council in 1987.
“When I first started at the council I was getting $3000 a year, and I didn’t think we’d get anything. I just think (the matter of wages) comes down to if you are in council for what you can get, or if you are in there for what you can give,” she said.
Dandenong Residents and Ratepayers Association president Alan Hood said a pay rise would be appropriate ‘only where (councillors) were running the council and providing good community leadership’.
“We know that some councillors work longer hours than the average wage earner,” he said.