The highest paid council bosses in the city and county

MORE than 100 Leicester City Council staff are paid more £1,000 a week, it has been revealed.

Figures released by the council show 113 employees are on salaries greater than £52,000-a-year.

The statistics have been released following a Freedom of Information request answered as the council prepares to debate its pay policy for the coming year.

The figure does not include teachers, who are city council employees.

There are 237 school staff being paid over £52,000 a year.

The pay policy reveals the salary of the city council’s top executives and says its chief officers’ salaries are comparable, or lower, than those of counterparts at Coventry, Derby and Nottingham city councils.

The council plans to make £20 million in savings in the financial year commencing in April.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who is paid £67,000 annually, said: “It is essential that there is public accountability and full member involvement in agreeing local authority pay policies.

“This annual statement helps ensure that Leicester City Council’s pay policies are open and transparent.

“This is particularly important during what has been the longest and most severe period of spending cuts we have ever experienced.

“It is encouraging that this latest statement reflects our commitment to fair pay and to reducing the costs of senior management.”

The top earner at Leicester City Council is the chief operating officer Andy Keeling who is paid £130,000.

Sir Peter scrapped the council’s chief executive role when he was elected in 2011.

The chief executives at Coventry, Derby and Nottingham council are paid between £163,000 and £185,000.

Since 2013, the city council has backed the National Living Wage. This means that 800 of the lowest paid council staff are paid a supplement to bring their salaries into line with the National Living Wage, which is currently £8.75 per hour.

Leicestershire County Council has published a list of its top paid officials in 2016/17.

John Sinnott remains the best remunerated employee. He is the longestserving council chief executive in the country and is paid £194,000.

Overall there are nine officers paid more than £100,000 a year.

The council says it needs to cut £50 million from is spending over the next four years.

A County Hall spokeswoman said: “We have a budget of £790 million per year and a capital programme of £290 million, and have saved £178 million over the last eight years.

“We need high quality senior managers in order to deliver the major transformation and savings that the council is pursuing.”