New £100,000 plus council role approved on same day cuts proposed

[dutchman]

Councillors were told the pay is considered to be at the "right level"



A new permanent six-figure salaried job has been created at Coventry City Council – making the role one of the highest-paid at the cash-strapped authority.

The new Director of Business, Investment and Culture will be given a Grade D2 salary, which will see them earn between £108,007 to £117,028 a year.

The salary package was approved by councillors on the same day the authority’s budget for 2020/21 was revealed, which includes £5.5 million service cuts as it seeks to plug a £16.7m funding gap.

However, councillors were told the pay grade is considered by government to be at “the right level”.

Speaking at an audit and procurement committee meeting on Monday, November 11, chair Cllr Ram Lakha said: “The Secretary of State considers that £100,000 is the right level of threshold that is set.

“People usually ask why officers are paid too high, but there is a guideline and that’s why I’m making this comment in public.”

Under council rules, councillors have to approve all roles at the authority which come with a salary over £100,000.

Based on recent figures compiled in the Taxpayers’ Alliance ‘Town Hall Rich List 2019’, the applicant of the new role could be the sixth highest-paid at the council if they take away the top end of the pay bracket – £117,028.

The highest paid at the authority is chief executive Martin Reeves who earned a total package of £226,641 in 2017/18 including a salary of £199,958.

Four others earned a salary between 134,278 and £202,000.

The post is set to have a key role in the city ahead of Coventry’s UK City of Culture 2021 as they will be the responsible strategic lead for the event.

Whoever takes on the new job will also oversee the council’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games 2022 and be responsible for key areas such as the city’s economic growth and climate change.

The role has been in place for “a number of months” on a temporary basis already, director of streetscene and regulatory services Andrew Walster said, and has “proved its worth”.

[rebbonk]

Someone's mate?

A ridiculous amount to be paying anyone employed by a local authority, and they know that!