The number of Argyll and Bute Council staff earning more than £50,000 increased by nearly 30% last year.
Facing further deep cuts despite slashing spending by £10m earlier this year, the authority confirmed the wages of its highest paid staff in its annual accounts.
Four people earned more than £90,000, and the total number earning more than £50,000 – twice the average in the area – went up from 85 to 109.
Chief executive Sally Loudon, who left the council earlier this year, was the highest paid member of staff, being paid £121,339 excluding taxable expenses and pension.
She was followed by executive directors of customer services Douglas Hendry (£96,986), development and infrastructure services Pippa Milne (£96,666) and community services Cleland Sneddon (£95,989).
Mr Sneddon has now replaced Ms Loudon as chief executive, with an advertised salary of £118,000.
The average annual salary in Argyll and Bute is £25,476, below both the Scottish and British averages.
The accounts state that some staff were taken over particular thresholds by incremental pay increases, and a council spokesperson said this week: “Argyll and Bute Council needs experienced, capable and skilled people at all levels to develop and deliver services through the period of considerable change affecting local government across Scotland.
“The council obviously adheres to local and national pay agreements to attract and retain skilled employees, and to ensure our staff are paid fairly for the work they do.
“Implementing the nationally agreed local government pay award of 1.5%, overtime and allowances, increased earnings for a number of employees to more than £50,000.
“The number of council employees earning more than £50,000 represents just 2% of the workforce.”
The accounts also show that the council made 84 people redundant, with ‘exit packages’ totalling £1.2m; in September it was revealed here that 12 ‘lollipop’ school crossing patrol staff had resigned after their working hours were cut.
The council’s accounts are here (PDF document): argyll_and_bute_council_annual_accounts_2015-16_signed_0
For details of elected councillors’ pay and expenses, see the Politics and Pence section of this website.
Leave a Reply