In a letter to the communities minister, NACNI called for a “reasonable allowance” for councillors.
Joe Boyle, secretary of the group, said current provisions “still fall short of an acceptable structure for the third tier of government in Northern Ireland”.
“Recent ‘independent’ awards clearly demonstrate a significant disparity of what is accepted as independent for one sector, but not for another,” he added.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) councillor raised a range of issues including levels of fuel expenses, calls to introduce a severance scheme, and funding for security measures.
He said there was a “gap between expectations of the role and the reality of the workload”.
Boyle also described “challenges for younger or working-age councillors balancing council duties with employment and family commitments”.
“Given the current structures in place for those wishing to step forward within local government in Northern Ireland, as elected representatives the current position does not allow for longevity, continuity or experience and potentially local government will not be as effective as it was previously.”