3,000 council fat cats earn more than £100k
number of town hall bureaucrats earning £100,000-plus is at its second highest level on record despite vicious cuts to services.
Analysis reveals 3,106 had a sixfigure salary in 2022-2023, 829 received more than £150,000 and 175 were paid more than £200,000.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance said 188 staff were on a higher basic salary than Rishi Sunak, who received £139,477 for his roles as PM and MP.
Meanwhile, most authorities are hiking council tax by the maximum 5%, in a desperate attempt to raise cash. Westminster Council in London had the most staff – 60 – on more than £100,000.
The largest total package was paid to Felicity Roe, former culture, community and business services director at Hampshire County Council.
She had a basic salary of £120,133, received £121,203 compensation when the role was axed and had a pension contribution of £409,822.
Cumbria Council’s John Metcalfe had a total remuneration package of £586,134 in 2022/23 and a resources director at Newcastle City Council was paid a package of £496,403. Southend-on-Sea City Council, Essex, paid the largest basic salary – £299,294 – to its executive director of interim neighbourhoods and environment.
The authority has said it is now reducing reliance on expensive agency staff and cutting the number of its senior leaders.
A Bill by Tory MP Paul Bristow will make town hall salaries trans parent and councillors accountable for the pay they award officials.
He said: “This increase in the top earners should worry everyone.”
TaxPayers’ Alliance CEO John O’Connell said: “Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services.”
Hampshire County Council said: “A number of our most senior officers are also responsible for the delivery of a range of services to other local authorities and public sector partners nationally.”
Westminster Council said it had a “unique responsibility for managing the heart of our capital city” and “the salaries we pay reflect the skills needed to lead the authority”.