Plans to publish pay and perks of council bosses opposed
Comments |
by
political editor Paul Francis
Plans to publish more information about the pay and perks of
senior council officers have been opposed by some Kent authorities
who feared it could lead to harassment by the public, it has
emerged.
Gravesham, Dover and Tonbridge
and Malling councils all lobbied the Government over its
proposals for greater transparency about the remuneration of
high-ranking officers.
The three were among dozens of councils making representations
about proposals, due to take effect this year, that will mean far
more information about council salaries being disclosed in annual
accounts.
As a result, the Government backed down over some elements of
its plans.
Gravesham council argued there should be no change to the
existing rules, which require councils only to publish details of
salaries in bands rather than specific figures and without naming
individuals.
The council said the proposals to change to these rules were "an
infringement on individual’s personal information".
It also argued the Government's plans would place councils at an
unfair disadvantage compared to private sector employees, as some
council managers might earn less but would still see some of their
details published.
Its submission also warned taxpayers would pay the price for
collecting the data to be be published as "it would require more
administrative resources to pull together the required information
at an increased cost to the authority, resulting in an increased
cost to members of the public".
Meanwhile, Dover council flagged up concerns over the privacy of
council officials, saying: "Local government employees are visible
within the local community and are likely to have their
pay/pensions targeted by the local press. Civil servants are not
subject to the same level of scrutiny by the community within which
they live."
Tonbridge and Malling council also argued names of council
bosses should be kept secret, suggesting "the post title be given
instead of the officers' names".
It too expressed concerns members of the public had "relatively
easy access to senior officers than is likely to be the case in
central government".
As a result of the lobbying, ministers agreed only those
officers earning more than £150,000 will be identified by name
while others below that will remain anonymous.
The Government said the rules struck the right balance.
"The taxpayer has a legitimate right to see this information and
decide whether or not it is fair," said a spokesman for the
Department of
Communities and Local Government.
Tuesday, February 23 2010
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.