Top council salaries still rising as public fork out
Authorities told to ‘get real’ as pay soars amid council tax hikes
THEY are the council bosses earning more than the Prime Minister in wages. And in the eyes of many they are taking home massive public salaries as their authorities are raising council tax for hard-pressed families.
Earning huge salaries is nothing new in the public sector.
But analysis by the Post found pay packets for council chief executives have continued to grow over recent years, while the authorities they run ask for more in funding.
Birmingham City Council pays its chief executive Deborah Cadman £186,000 a year.
The figure has risen from £181,000 in 2020/21, making the salary higher than that of Boris Johnson, who earns £161,000 a year.
At Wolverhampton City Council, Tim Johnson takes home £167,600, up from £158,500 last year.
Dudley Council pays its top boss Kevin O’Keefe £180,000, rising from £173,400 in 2021.
Meanwhile, Walsall Council does not reveal exactly how much its chief executive Helen Paterson earns, only that the salary sits in a range between £167,000 and £189,000, as of 2021. The maximum figure rose from £187,000 in 2020.
Local authorities insist they must offer competitive salaries in order to attract the best people for the job, or avoid them going elsewhere. They also don’t always have control over pay rises.
But at a time when inflation is outpacing increases in wages and benefits – resulting in a real-terms cut for the poorest – and energy bills and other household costs soar, the gap between the highest and lowest earners appears wider than ever.
It could conceivably leave councils open to accusations of being out of touch, as the worst-off are forced to choose between heating and eating.
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley councils have all increased council tax rates by 2.99% for 2022/23.
Sandwell Council has come under fire for hiking bills by the maximum 4.99% during a cost of living crisis, more than neighbouring authorities.
The council doesn’t currently have a permanent chief executive but paid its last one £151,500 and recently advertised the top post with a bumper £185,000 salary.
The authority said it would be seeking to “attract a highly qualified and experienced individual” to take on the role.
Pay rises for most chief executives are set nationally but, as the figures show, total earnings and increases differ from council to council.
The Campaign group The TaxPayers’ Alliance, which scrutinises how taxpayer cash is spent, said local authorities needed to “get real” and stop wasting money, especially at a time when so many families are struggling.
Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager, said: “Taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis want to know they are getting value for money from their local authority leadership.
“Colossal council bills are the last thing residents need as we emerge from the coronavirus crisis, which has put real pressure on household budgets. Councils need to get real and start tackling wasteful spending by scrapping pointless pet projects and stopping staff pay rises.”
Councillor Aftab Nawaz, opposition Labour leader at Walsall Council, agrees having such a wide gap doesn’t look good but also said he understood the argument that local authorities needed to offer competitive salaries.
He said: “The fact of the matter is, to get the right people they have got to pay the right amount of money.
“But, of course, when you’re on benefits or are low paid there is a real disconnect between the high earners and what constituents are going through.
“I’m not saying anything against council officers, but those on the lowest amount of money and those on the highest – that gap has been rising for years and years. We can do more to explain why they are paid so much more.”
We can do more to explain why they are paid so much more. Councillor Aftab Nawaz, opposition Labour leader at Walsall Council