Cottesloe council mulls cutting members after handing itself pay rises
Cottesloe councillors voted to review cutting council size from nine to seven or five members, after voting themselves pay rises.
Cottesloe's nine councillors unanimously voted this week to review the town's representation model and consider cutting their own numbers. The move follows pay rises in the recent budget.
The mayor's pay rose by almost $10,000, and the deputy mayor's rose by $4,000. Reducing to seven members could save about $50,000 a year; cutting to five could save $100,000.
The town is required to conduct a representation review at least every 10 years, the last was in 2018. A draft discussion paper will now go out for six weeks of public feedback.
Council will then decide whether to keep nine members or reduce the size.
- Almost $10,000
- Mayor's pay increase
- About $4,000
- Deputy mayor's increase
- $50,000
- Annual savings at seven members
- $100,000
- Annual savings at five members
Why it mattersCutting council size could trim costs but also reduce community representation and the town's capacity to handle member absences or specialised committees.
AustraliaCottesloe residents will have the chance to weigh in on how many councillors should represent their town and how that affects decision-making speed and local oversight.
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