Angus Council pay: What does your local elected member earn?

Angus councillors will pocket almost £700,000 between them in 2024/25.

In a shake-up of some senior positions at the final full council meeting before the summer recess, full details of this year’s wage bill were set out.

And it reveals total pay of £689,686 for the area’s 28 elected members.

Council leader Beth Whiteside is the chamber’s top earner.

The Monifieth and Sidlaws representative will receive £42,698 as SNP administration chief.

Her deputy, Kirriemuir councillor George Meechan, gets £32,024.

Provost Brian Boyd will receive £27,753 in his position as the district’s civic figurehead.

There are also special payments for senior posts of convener and vice-convener on the council’s committees.

Conveners receive £27,753 and vice-conveners £23,868.

The basic grade remuneration for 13 non-administration councillors is £21,345.

Committee changes

A number of changes followed Montrose SNP councillor Kenny Braes’ decision to step down from several posts.

He resigned as vice-convener of the policy and resources committee as well as leaving the children and learning committee.

In addition, he gave up his board membership of the council’s Angus Alive leisure trust.

Mr Braes is the council’s housing spokesperson and is pushing the idea of a dedicated committee being set up to tackle issues across Angus.

At the same full council meeting the authority declared a housing emergency – exactly six weeks after the move was rejected by the SNP administration.

A member/officer group is being set up to carry out a “thorough and wide-ranging review” of housing.

Mr Braes said at last week’s meeting: “A new standalone housing committee will provide purpose, focus and scrutiny of what we’re doing in this declared housing emergency.”

Top officer post under review

And confirmation of the councillor pay figures come as bosses consider whether to axe a top officer post.

Depute chief executive Mark Armstrong is due to retire from the £127,000 role next month.

Chief executive Kathryn Lindsay said a decision on whether her second-in-command will be replaced remains under consideration.

But she told councillors: “We are however mindful of the wider budgetary situation for the council.”

The council’s senior management wage bill topped a million pounds in 2023.