COUNCILLORS have agreed to increase the allowances for the mayor and deputy mayor by more than £5,000, in part for clothes to wear at official functions.
At a meeting of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, members received a report from the three-person Independent Remuneration Panel, which advises the authority on pay levels.
For the year 2015/2016, the panel recommended councillors increase the base level of the mayoral allowance from £10,100 to £12,100. The recommendation was agreed by all councillors without any debate.
The report said mayors typically attend between 300 and 350 events a year. It noted: "These events were often held during the day, which meant that it was extremely difficult for the mayor to be in paid employment during their year in office."
The report continues: "It was also shown that the mayor incurred significant expenditure in hosting and attending events throughout the municipal year. A reasonable part of this expenditure was in the form of hospitality (providing refreshments for mayoral receptions [other than those supported from corporate resources] and after full council meetings), but there were also a variety of other costs including purchasing event-appropriate clothing and accessories, ticket and attendance fees, collections and charitable donations, sending flowers and purchasing other gifts."
Members also agreed to increase the deputy mayor's allowance from £1,600 to £2,500, and introduced a special responsibility allowance of £2,479 for the mayor for chairing meetings.
To reach its conclusion, the panel compared data with other councils across Surrey, consulted councillors and former mayors, and compared a list of mayoral engagements from 2012/13 and 2014/15.
The panel's report said it was "vitally important" that potential candidates for the role should not be dissuaded by any financial disadvantage.
But borough residents are not happy with the decision. Mara Greenwood of Redhill told the Mirror: "£5,000 is a lot of money, especially when I don't even know who they are and what they do. Maybe if they could justify what they need it for."
After we explained, she replied: "Well then they definitely don't deserve it."
Gloria Smith, who was shopping in Redhill, said: "I didn't even know there was a mayor to be honest. It's fair enough, I suppose it raises their profile by attending these things, but I think if it can be done for them it can be done for everyone."
June from Merstham, who asked to be referred to by her first name, said: "It's a lot of money. Although the news reports say the economy is recovering, people's pay has not been going up and for the mayor to agree to do that, what about the rest of us?"
But Councillor Lynne Hack, a former mayor, told the Mirror the position can be extremely costly to its incumbent: "I had to buy my own drinks and food, presents, all those sorts of things you have to pay for yourself. I used to invite all the councillors for drinks after the council meetings. You spend all you have been given."
She added: "It's pretty intensive. It does take quite a lot of your time and you have to get things right."
The Mirror approached the current mayor, Councillor David Pay, for a comment, but was told by the council's chief executive John Jory that he was unavailable due to hosting end-of year Christmas drinks and nibbles for fellow councillors.
No further comment was received before the Mirror went to press.
