Cash-strapped Lib Dem council to pay new boss more than Prime Minister
A Liberal Democrat-run council will pay its new chief executive more than the Prime Minister despite cutting 300 jobs.
The next head of cash-strapped Dorset Council will be paid up to £200,000 – £34,000 more than the £166,000 earned by Sir Keir Starmer.
The successful candidate will also receive a £10,500 'golden hello' despite the local authority being set to lay off 6 per cent of its employees to reduce its wage bill by £12.5 million.
From April, locals will also face a 5 per cent increase in their council tax.
Benjamin Elks, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Local taxpayers footing the bill for telephone number salaries will be demanding immediate results.
'Council top brass have been receiving big money while paring back essential services like bin collections, but don't seem to be shy in coming back to taxpayers for ever more council tax.
'This time around, local taxpayers will be keeping an eye out for the new boss cutting wasteful spending and keeping council tax low.'
The job advert describes the council as being 'committed to innovation, inclusivity, and delivering meaningful impact for residents, businesses and the environment'.
As well as a basic salary of between £185,000 to £200,000, the successful candidate will receive £8,000 tax-free to pay for their move and £2,500 upon starting the job.
There is also the option of getting support with a mortgage or rent for two years.
That is despite the authority being reported to have an £13.2 million overspend in the first six months of this financial year.
Unison, the union, has warned that 250 to 300 jobs will be lost over the next five years due to proposed spending cuts, with surviving staff from the 4,700-strong workforce being forced into lower pay grades.
The average salary earned by council chief executives is £173,000, according to the Local Government Chronicle.
Cllr Nick Ireland, the council's leader, defended the salary as a 'competitive salary' that was designed to 'attract the right person'.
'Our senior leadership salaries are benchmarked against other unitary councils of a similar size, both locally and nationally, and we are offering a competitive salary for the role of chief executive to ensure we attract the right person to lead our council,' he said.
'We have been transparent about our financial pressures and must find ways to deliver the services that our residents value most in a way that is fit for the future.'
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