Albury's Kevin Mack paid slightly more than Wodonga's Kevin Poulton in a mayoral allowance

Last year, Albury's Kevin Mack was one of the biggest beneficiaries of a review into councillor wages in NSW with Albury's upgrade from regional rural to regional centre council seeing his mayoral wage jump from $44,250 to $60,080.

His councillor wage also rose from $20,280 to $24,320, leading to a combined pay packet of $84,400.

This week Wodonga councillors had to tick off their allowances since last year's election with first term mayor Kevin Poulton to be paid a flat mayoral allowance of $81,204.

Wodonga's mayor and councillors, who receive $26,245, are paid the maximum amount allowable under their council classification.

Cr Mack is the full-time mayor of Albury and Cr Poulton continues to combine his 2AY breakfast radio program commitments with his mayoral workload.

Cr Poulton's mayoral predecessor Anna Speedie was full-time mayor before bowing out of local government before last year's elections.

Ms Speedie's predecessor Mark Byatt also was a full-time mayor when in the role.

The Wodonga mayor receives a superannuation contribution in addition to his mayoral wage.

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Cr Libby Hall was the only councillor to speak about wages when the matter came up at this week's Wodonga Council meeting.

"The state government decided last year there would be no rises to local government councillor allowances," she said.

"I was definitely okay with this.

"Especially when workers and small businesses and people who had actually lost jobs were doing it hard due the coronavirus lockdown.

"But I also believe it should have been across the board with the state politicians' allowances.

"They actually had quite a substantial pay rise during this time."

Cr Poulton, who created history in becoming the first Albury resident to be mayor of Wodonga, is one of three new faces on council alongside Graeme Simpfendorfer and Olga Quilty.

Cr Poulton became mayor when he rolled Cr Ron Mildren 4-3 for the post after Cr John Watson withdrew from the race even though he had the numbers to become mayor again.

Cr Watson had a previous stint as Wodonga mayor when he initially served on council before his resignation in 2004.

This week he was critical of attempts to postpone the draft budget deliberations when three councillors felt they didn't have sufficient input due to recent changes in the Local Government Act.

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