Kent County Council has more middle managers on £50k or more than almost any other authority
County Hall, the
headquarters of Kent County Council
by political editor Paul Francis
Kent County Council employs more people on salaries of more
than £50,000 than all but one other authority in the country, a
report claims.
According to a survey of middle managers employed by local
councils by the Taxpayers' Alliance, KCC has 491 staff earning
above the figure - the second highest in the country.
The total cost to the taxpayer of the combined salaries at that
level was £32,002,500 in 2011-12 - representing a drop of just
£110,000 in pay for the previous year.
Only Birmingham City Council has more, at 648. In Essex, the
figure is 434 and in East Sussex, 409.
At the same time, the survey does show that KCC has now 38 fewer
employees on earnings of £50,000 or more last year although the
council says that has now risen to 50.
The figures exclude school staff.
The chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, Matthew
Sinclair, said:
"Taxpayers are still paying far too much for bloated
bureaucracies that have been established in too many town halls
over the last decade.
"Councillors need to insist that their local authority does
more to find savings and cut back on staff costs that residents
cannot afford."
KCC underwent a major re-organisation under a project known as
"The Change To Keep Succeeding" programme three years ago.
The initiative was aimed at slimming down the authority and
streamlining the workforce.
At the same time, council budget cuts caused by the government's
austerity regime have meant that the council has shed 1,500 staff
in recent years.
In Medway, the number of staff earning £50,000 or more fell by
20 to 96 last year, with total remuneration for those staff costing
the public purse £6,235,000.
Roger Gough, KCC cabinet member for business strategy,
performance and health reform, said that between March 2010 and
March 2012, the number of staff on salaries of £50,000 and above
dropped from 541 to 491 - a reduction of about 9%.
Over the same period, the number on salaries of £100,000 and
above dropped from 22 to 15, a reduction of almost a third
(32%).
He added: "The number of employees being paid salaries of
£50,000 and above is expected to be higher in Kent than in other
councils as it is the largest shire authority in the country.
"If KCC is to serve its residents effectively, it must pay
appropriate salaries for the level of responsibility it expects
staff to take on."
20/02/13
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