-Amid Rising Disparities
Capitol Hill, Monrovia — The House of Representatives has advanced a proposal to establish a national ceiling on remuneration for County Councils, responding to widening compensation gaps fueled by unequal county revenue bases and budgetary capacities.
The proposal was referred Thursday to the Committees on Local Government and Ways, Means and Finance for review, in keeping with Section 2.9 of the Local Government Act of 2018, which mandates the Legislature to set a uniform ceiling on honoraria for Council members every four years.
The action followed a communication from Nimba County Electoral District #2 Representative, Hon. Nyan Flomo, who warned that the absence of a nationally defined pay cap has produced “inequitable and unsustainable” remuneration patterns across counties—despite all councils carrying identical statutory responsibilities.
To correct the imbalance, Rep. Flomo proposed a formula-based ceiling: total annual remuneration for any County Council should not exceed five percent (5%) of that county’s approved annual Fiscal Development Budget.
The lawmaker argued the cap would promote fiscal discipline, prevent administrative expenses from consuming funds meant for development, and ensure nationwide equity while respecting legitimate differences in county budget sizes.
Plenary agreed the proposal touches on core issues of fiscal governance, decentralization, and inter-county fairness. The relevant committees are now tasked with reviewing the matter and reporting back with findings and recommendations.
The House reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Liberia’s decentralization framework through transparent, fair, and sustainable local governance reforms.
