Council leaders’ massive bonuses for poll duties ‘a slap in face for the poor’

SOME of Scotland’s best-paid council bosses are to pocket bonuses of more than £40,000 this year.

Traditionally, local authority chief executives are appointed as ‘returning officers’ to oversee elections in their areas, entitling them to extra pay.

This year the Scottish election in May is followed by the EU referendum in June, which will mean a double payout.

In Glasgow the city council’s chief executive, Annemarie O’Donnell, who already collects a £161,000 a year salary, is in line for a bonus in excess of £40,000.

Edinburgh’s chief executive Andrew Kerr, who draws £164,168 from the public purse, will also receive a five-figure payout.

Both officials are already paid more than David Cameron, who receives a comparatively modest £142,500 a year in his role as Prime Minister.

Returning officers are paid

separately for their work, but the scale of such payments has caused controversy in the past.

That two major counts are taking place within a short space of time has inflated the payouts further.

Falkirk Council chief executive Mary Pitcaithly was paid £25,000 to oversee the independence referendum 18 months ago. She earns £131,000 for her day job but is in line to receive close to £20,000 for overseeing this year’s polls.

Eben Wilson, director of Taxpayer Scotland, said: ‘The size of these payments over and above already high salaries is a disgrace.

‘They are a slap in the face of the poor and vulnerable struggling to live on benefits and low earning and small tax-paying businesses.

‘The very least these highly paid officials could do is hand over their windfall to a charity of their choice.’

Last week officials in Edinburgh and Falkirk declined to discuss if bosses would surrender any of their windfall. Despite previously saying she would accept her poll fee, Miss O’Donnell promised to donate a portion to charity this time around.

The Scottish Conservatives’ finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘Council chiefs are generally very well rewarded for the work they do.

‘It’s very difficult to justify these extraordinary payments for what is hardly back-breaking work.

‘At a time when budgets are so tight, perhaps cutting back on these high bonuses would be a good place to start saving cash.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘These provisions are in line with the funding arrangements for returning officers in other UK elections.

‘The UK Parliament sets the equivalent amounts for UK, European and other elections and referenda for which they are responsible, including the forthcoming EU referendum.’