Practically 2,800 council fats cats raked in additional than £100,000 final yr because the nation grappled with the price of residing squeeze.
City halls paid out beneficiant pension contributions, bonuses and different advantages regardless of mountain climbing taxes to pay for providers beneath stress from sky-high inflation and further demand.
In response to knowledge obtained by the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA), 2,759 council bosses obtained six-figure salaries, with 721 getting greater than £150,000.
Some 608 had been paid greater than prime minister Rishi Sunak, who received £156,163 within the final monetary yr.
The best-earning council boss was the unnamed managing director of Guildford Borough Council, who was paid an eyewatering £607,633 – sufficient to fund 18 nurses for a complete yr.
The cost was made up of £107,195 wage, £339,158 pension contributions and £5,688 in advantages and a golden goodbye.
Guildford wouldn’t reveal the id of the director regardless of their wage being funded by taxpayers.
A spokesman mentioned: “Within the final monetary yr we made a one-off cost of £154,000 to the previous managing director.
“The cost was a authorized obligation and displays over 30 years of loyal service to our borough.
“This cost was shared equally with Waverley Borough Council consistent with our partnership settlement.”
The second highest-paid council boss was Fiona Brown – Sunderland’s outgoing government director for neighbourhoods.
A spokesman mentioned: “We proceed to ship essential providers throughout the price of residing disaster, together with providers to 1000’s of weak adults and youngsters, and are delivering tons of of thousands and thousands of kilos of funding that’s making Sunderland a extra dynamic, wholesome and vibrant metropolis.
“This work entails main social and authorized duties and remuneration to senior and ex-staff, together with pensions and advantages the place they’ve left after lengthy service, can replicate this.”
Robert Steenson, North Lanarkshire’s government director for enterprise and communities was third. His £536,530 cost included compensation for lack of workplace.
A spokesman mentioned: “As with every worker, the postholder is entitled to their pension cost and redundancy the place a task is made redundant.”
The fourth greatest pay packet went to Sandy Hopkins, who was chief government of Southampton Metropolis Council till final yr. She obtained £406,403 together with a £188,239 payoff.
Fifth was Paul Najsarek, who stepped down as Ealing’s chief government in 2021 with £325,047 together with a £94,859 pay-off.
Of the ten native authorities with essentially the most workers receiving over £100,000, eight had been in London.
TPA, a right-wing stress group that doesn’t disclose its funding sources and campaigns for decrease taxes, questioned whether or not councils had been offering worth for cash.
It printed its native authority ‘wealthy record’ as households proceed to face double-digit inflation and rises in council tax.
In the meantime, payments are going up by 5.1 per cent this yr, that means the cost for a median Band D property will prime £2,000 for the primary time, and inflation has been above 10 per cent since final summer time.
It added that in 2021-22 there was a “giant discount” within the variety of councils publishing accounts, with 47 failing to reveal the pay of their city corridor bosses, in comparison with 25 native authorities final yr.
TPA estimates recommend that, had the figures been disclosed, the true quantity would have been nearer to three,126 people on extra £100,000.
The common variety of workers who obtained £100,000 or extra in whole remuneration was 7.9 per native authority.
The common quantity receiving £150,000 or extra was 2.1 workers per native authority.
The native authority with the best variety of workers receiving whole remuneration over £100,000 was Westminster, with 50 workers.
The native authority to pay out the best quantity by way of bonuses and performance-related pay to a senior worker was Newcastle Upon Tyne council, with their director of public well being receiving a £36,192 bonus.
Stoke had the bottom occupancy fee within the nation at simply 7 per cent – and 6 workers obtained greater than £100,000.
The native authority to pay out the best quantity by way of bonuses and performance-related pay to a senior worker was Newcastle upon Tyne council, with their director of public well being receiving a £36,192 bonus, the Taxpayers’ Alliance revealed.
John O’Connell, chief government of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, mentioned: “Taxpayers dealing with report council tax rises wish to make sure they’re getting worth for cash from their native authority management.“Many authorities proceed with extraordinarily beneficiant pay and perks, together with bonuses and golden goodbyes, whereas native individuals are dealing with a monetary squeeze.“Residents can use these figures to carry their native city corridor bosses to account.”
