Frome town councillors are discussing a proposed change to funding at the Annual Council Meeting on 21st May, designed to remove financial barriers to participation and ensure equal access to leadership roles among councillors, present and future. The changes would see a creation of a meaningful Chair’s Allowance, in recognition of the significant time commitment associated with this key role.
Town councillors are entitled to an annual allowance of £1,240, around 8% of the allowance received by a councillor at Somerset Council. This modest amount helps cover the costs of fulfilling the role and reduces the financial pressure on those thinking about standing for election. An increase to £1,291 is proposed for 2025/26 in line with inflation.
Frome Town Council is considering a more substantial allowance for the Chair; a leadership role requiring a consistent time commitment of around 20 hours per week. As such, the recommendation is to set the Chair’s allowance at £15,000 per year.
Current Leader of the Council Cllr Steve Tanner said: “We want to make sure that anyone – regardless of income or background – can consider standing to be a councillor or Chair of the Council. By properly recognising the scale of the Chair’s role and offering support to all councillors, we’re taking an important step towards a more inclusive and representative local democracy.
“The proposed Chair’s allowance reflects the scale and complexity of the role in a large and ambitious town council with a £3.5m programme of work, which will only increase with the devolution of Somerset Council services. It is not a salary, nor does it make the Chair an employee – but it would help defray the considerable costs involved in fulfilling the role effectively.”
The decision will be made at the Annual Council meeting on Wednesday 21st May – Members of the public are warmly encouraged to attend.
