ELECTED members of Herts County Council are to get a rise. A recommendation from an independent panel to the county council says councillors basic allow-ances should be increased to £9,588. This will see a rise of £234-a-year for members in 2008-09. The

ELECTED members of Herts County Council are to get a rise.

A recommendation from an independent panel to the county council says councillors' basic allow-ances should be increased to £9,588.

This will see a rise of £234-a-year for members in 2008-09.

The total cost of allowances will rise from £1,177,496 to £1,192,516 - an increase of 1.3 per cent.

The recommendations from the panel will be disucced at a county council meeting on Tuesday.

In its report to the Cabinet, the panel said that the payment of al-lowances was to ensure "financial constraints" did not prevent people becoming county councillors and "to recompense members for the work they do as councillors".

Under the panel's recommendations, the leader of the council will receive an allowance of £38,352 and eight Cabinet members £19,176 each.

The recommendation comes in the wake of North Herts District increasing it allowances to members.

Councillors were given an increase of £146 to £3,622 while Cabinet members will see a rise of £175 to £4,364.

In a survey of councillors, 30 said they were not satisfied with the level of allowances.