Town Hall Rich List reveals bill for county’s council bosses
An annual list of council employees receiving more than £100,000 a year has been released, showing the pay of top officers across West Sussex.
Every year the Taxpayers’ Alliance puts together its Town Hall Rich List and the latest outlines a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals for the financial year 2020/21.
According to the organisation, taxpayers are having to pay more and more for their council tax bills at a time when the number of local authority employees nationally receiving more than £100,000 in total remuneration has risen to the highest level since 201314.
The list showed West Sussex County Council with 19 officers with remuneration above £100,000, four shared across Adur and Worthing councils, three at Arun, five at Chichester, two at Crawley, six at Horsham and five at Mid Sussex.
The TPA’s figures showed the highest cost at County Hall in 2020/21 was for the interim director – human resources & organisational development – listed as receiving a salary of £249,423.
West Sussex’s own accounts show this sum was paid to an agency for the officer’s services.
Next was Lucy Butler, executive director – children, young people and learning, who was paid a salary of £164,583 and a pension contribution of £34,913 (£199,496 total), followed by the chief fire officer on a £140,000 salary and £40,320 pension (£180,320 total).
The executive director – place services received a £143,850 salary and £33,575 pension (£177,425 total), executive director - adults and health received £173,400 salary (no breakdown available), director – finance and support services a £128,438 salary and £29,977 pension (£158,415 total), director – law and assurance a £118,163 salary and £27,579 pension (£145,742 total) and director - education and skills a £113,025 salary, £3,975 expenses and £26,380 pension (£143,380 total).
There were nine other ‘undisclosed’ posts listed with salaries ranging from £132,500 to £112,500.
Kim Curry, former executive director for adults and health, is also listed as she received £110,473 for loss of employment in 2020/21.
Although chief executive Becky Shaw was the authority’s highest earner, because she is shared jointly with East Sussex, West Sussex paid her £154,866 in salary.
East Sussex is listed as paying her £101,927 in salary, £16,236 under other and £20,797 pension contribution.
A county council spokesman said: “West Sussex County Council delivers services to more than 850,000 residents every day and is one of the largest employers in the county. Attracting and retaining the best staff is essential.
“It means we can respond effectively to the challenges of maintaining services in a context of changing government policy, increasing complexity of needs, the impact of the pandemic and rising inflation.
“This includes ensuring we have highly qualified senior staff with the best knowledge, skills and experience.
“Local government pay for senior managers is benchmarked in line with the average pay grade of those doing similar jobs in the public sector. We share the cost of the chief executive with East Sussex county council.
“Like all local authorities, details of senior officer salaries are publicly declared in our annual statement of accounts and available on the council’s website.”