Bedfordshire’s top council officers’ salaries have been published in the latest TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) Town Hall Rich List.
The three council’s chief executives are paid between £171k and £206k, which rises to £244k when employer pension contributions are included.
But councils have said that they are “complex” organisations, and the corporate leadership requires pay that reflects the “skills and experience needed”.
In a statement posted on TPA’s website (April 9, 2024), chief executive John O’Connell said: “The new financial year has seen council tax soar across the country, and taxpayers will notice that top brass pay has simultaneously surged.
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“Local authorities provide crucial services and residents will want to make sure they are getting bang for their buck with their ever-increasing bills.
“Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services, or whether town hall bosses can get better value for money,” he said.
A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said: “We acknowledge that senior jobs pay very well, and each of our senior staff are aware of the responsibility that comes with their salaries, which are reported to our residents in an open and transparent way.
“Luton Council is a large, complex organisation with over 2,700 staff, more than 700 vital services being delivered to 225,000 residents, a £577 million budget and responsibility for £4.5 billion in commercial assets.
“So, it is right that those in senior management positions, including the chief executive, have the leadership qualities, skills and experience to deliver these vital services which directly impact people’s lives across our communities in Luton.”
A Bedford Borough spokesperson said: “Pay, terms and conditions of employment for certain directors and senior managers is determined by the democratically elected members.
“The pay is set in the pay policy which is considered by GP Committee and then referred to Full Council.
“The council’s pay statement was recently agreed by Full Council.
“Bedford Borough Council is a complex organisation with over 2,500 staff, providing hundreds of vital services being delivered to over 187,000 residents and a budget of £370 million.
“The skills and experience needed for all our corporate leadership are reflected in their pay.”
Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) said the amount quoted by TPA includes salary, pension contributions and expenses.
“We list staff salaries on our website for everyone to view,” a CBC spokesperson said.
“With overall responsibility for financial services totalling £1,018.2m and a population of 301,500, Central Bedfordshire Council is one of the largest unitary authorities.
“When we benchmark the salary of the chief executive, we look at unitary and county authorities across the UK.
“Given the complexities and responsibilities associated with this position, the compensation package must be competitive to attract and retain top talent,” they said.
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