Chief exec earns £30k bonus

3:10pm Thursday 7th August 2008

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The chief executive of Wandsworth Council, who was last year’s second-highest paid official outside Scotland, has been given a pay rise of about 14 per cent.

The raise should add an extra £30,000 to his pay packet.

“From our point of view, this kind of salary and bonus is completely unjustified. Councils talk of competitive rates but they have to recognise the circumstances of the average taxpayer in the current climate.”

Mark Wallace

The figures came to light following investigations under the Audit Commission Act 1998 and 2003, which states councils have to open up their accounts once a year for public inspection.

In 2007 Gerald Jones, chief executive and director of administration at the council, earned a salary that placed him in the £210,000-£220,000 bracket.

However, after this year’s accounts were opened it was revealed that Mr Jones had moved up three brackets to the £240,000-£250,000 band.

Last year, the highest paid official outside Scotland was Peter Gilroy, the chief executive of Kent County Council, who received £230,000 a year.

Mr Gilroy was closely followed by Mr Jones who was paid approximately £215,000 when more than 600 council officials earned in excess of £100,000.

The bonus of approximately £30,000 is more than the gross annual salary of a nurse and the 14 per cent pay rise comes at a time when many unions are struggling to get their members a pay increase in line with inflation (3.8 per cent).

A council spokesman said: “Councils like Wandsworth are a £700m-a-year business. Chief executives have to manage that business and at the same time accept responsibility for meeting a host of performance and service targets.

“Given the risks, demands and pressures of the job it is important that this is recognised in remuneration packages.

“In addition, Wandsworth's chief executive has overseen an authority that has not only delivered the country's lowest tax bills for the past 20 years, but has also ensured that town hall services are among the best in the country.

“Under his stewardship, no council anywhere has a better record of delivering such high quality, value for money services to residents.”

Under the act, taxpayers are entitled to see and copy everything in the accounts, including deeds, receipts, contracts, vouchers and bills.

This year the window for Wandsworth’s accounts was open between June 30 and July 25.

Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: “From our point of view, this kind of salary and bonus is completely unjustified. Councils talk of competitive rates but they have to recognise the circumstances of the average taxpayer in the current climate.”