Kent County Council directors get six-figure pay
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By political editor Paul
Francis
Two former senior directors at Kent
County Council earned £670,000 between them in a single year after
receiving six-figure pay-offs when they left their jobs.
Kent County Council has refused to
identify the two individuals or provide details of the specific
sums involved, saying they are bound by confidentiality
agreements.
In the case of one, the annual
salary and termination agreement meant one former director's
remuneration package was between £370,000 to £379,000 when the
individual left the authority in 2009.
The second secured a total package,
including salary, of between £300,000 and £310,000.
In the case of one, county
councillors sanctioned the payout offered to the departing director
but asked the Audit Commission, the public spending watchdog, to
comment on the agreement and the sums involved.
The pay-offs follow the disclosure
that seven former directors at KCC between them received nearly
£1million in pay-offs over the last five years.
KCC said those pay-offs, sometimes
given to employees as so-called compromise agreements to avoid
claims against unfair dismissal, were not unusual for an authority
of its size. It also said that in each case, the council had acted
appropriately.
However, it declined to comment on
the details of the two former directors.
Cllr Roger Gough, KCC's cabinet
member for corporate services, said KCC could not comment on the
specific details.
"We cannot comment further on the
figures which appear in the statement of accounts for legal
reasons."
From next year, all councils will
by law have to publish the full details of remuneration for all
employees earning more than £150,000, including any sums for exit
packages, bonuses, pensions and perks.
The details will have to be
incorporated into the authority's statement of accounts and follows
growing concern among all three main political parties over public
sector pay awards.
Thursday, January 07 2010
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