THE recent decision to increase district councillors’ allowance by two per cent is drawing criticism.

Forest of Dean Green Party councillors Chris McFarling and Sid Phelps, along with Labour’s Doug Scott, voted against the two per cent increase, with Chris McFarling pointing out that public sector pay rises are limited to only one per cent.

An additional cost is councillors’ expenses, which are published on the Forest of Dean Council website and vary greatly between councillors, from minimal to substantial.

Are councillors worth the money? Of course it depends on the councillor.

A hard-working councillor who puts in a lot of hours will probably earn less per hour than the minimum wage.

On the other hand, a councillor can choose just to turn up at the occasional meeting and do nothing else.

The quality of what they do is as important as how much they do, with some councillors genuinely working for their ward but others using their position mainly for ego enhancement.

The electorate get an opportunity every four years to participate in the election of councillors.

People need to be discerning in evaluating the prospective candidates to make sure that we get value for money and a council that works for us.

– Nicky Packer, Cinderford.