Kentish Express Ashford & District
Top three earners take home total of £347,000
tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk ASHFORD council has forked out almost £350,000 in one year for the salary and benefits of just three council employees.
The top three paid employees of Ashford Borough Council (ABC) took home a combined remuneration package of £347,406 in the financial year 2011 to 2012, the latest for which figures are available.
Chief executive John Bunnett was paid £137,077, deputy chief executive Paul Naylor received £107,948, while head of planning Richard Alderton took home £102,381.
The figures were obtained by the pressure group TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA), who compiled their Town Hall Rich List for the seventh year, outlining the top paid local-level officials.
Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of TPA, said: “It is good news that the number of senior council staff making more than £100,000 a year is finally falling.
“Residents won’t be impressed if their council pleads poverty when it is demanding more and more Council Tax, only then to spend it creating more town hall tycoons.”
The figures outlined are for
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk the total remuneration received by each of the three member of staff positions, including their salary, expenses, car allowance, and pension contributions paid by the council.
About the payments, a spokesman for ABC said: “The chief executive, deputy chief executive and head of planning and development are three of the most demanding roles in the council, with intense workloads and the highest levels of responsibility.
“A competitive remuneration package is needed to get the best people for the job. These figures, which are available to the public via our website, are comparable with other local authorities.”