Chief execis toretire early
Clackmannanshire Council chief executive Elaine McPherson is to take early retirement in May.
She has worked in local government for 31 years 26 of them with Clackmannanshire and has been the chief executive with the council for seven years.
According to the Clackmannanshire Council website her current salary is £99,048 per annum.
UNISON this week pointed out that Ms McPherson, who is understood to be in her mid 50s, will receive a‘strain payment’following her resignation from the council.
This means she can access her pension straight away. However, when the Observer asked the council to detail the cost to the public purse of the chief executive’s departure, they declined to comment and said any cost accrued would be outlined in the authority’s 2018/19 accounts.
When Ms McPherson’s retiral was announced last month, she said:“I have spent the majority of my local government career in Clackmannanshire.
“It has been a privilege to serve the council and local communities. I would like to thank everyone at the council for their commitment and hard work and for the support I have had over the piece. I wish the council every success going forward.”
A Clackmannanshire Council spokesperson pointed out that under council policy and the Local Government Superannuation Regulations voluntary retiral is allowed on efficiency grounds for those who meet specific age and pension scheme membership criteria.
These retirals, she said, are entirely voluntary and no redundancy or other payments are made by the council to the member of staff under these provisions.
Leader of Clackmannanshire Council councillor Les Sharp said:“I would like to thank Elaine for her many years of service and contributions she has given to local government.”