Council in secret bonus shame gave Chief Executive 33% pay rise

It has now been admitted by the Tories running Mid Sussex District Council that they paid the Chief Executive a secret bonus of £24,000 in 2007/8. Last week they set up a committee to meet in secret to decide his pay and bonus for last year, this year and future years.

Local Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman, Serena Tierney says: "The position is even more shocking than first appeared. According to the Council's own figures, in 2007 the Chief Executive was paid £120,000 but in 2008 he was paid £160,000 - a 33% pay rise. In that year he earned more than a cabinet minister."

In a press statement issued last week, the Tory leader of the council has tried to justify these massive sums by saying that there have been cost savings and reductions in senior management posts. Yet the Conservative Council's own figures show that over the past 4 years both the number of officers earning over £50,000 and the total cost has more than doubled. There were 7 - now there are 16 high earners. And the total cost has gone up from £520,000 to £1.2 million.

Serena added: "How can the Tory leader of the council claim that senior management numbers have been reduced and savings made over the past 4 years in the face of the evidence of the council's own figures showing that they have doubled? He gets paid nearly £35,000 a year of our money (as Council leader); we are entitled to expect him to earn it by keeping a close eye on what is going on."

"Private sector businesses have to make full disclosure of the full pay package of senior individuals. It is even more important to do so when it is public money that is being spent. Without this information, voters cannot hold the Tories to account for the way in which they are running this council. It is not good enough for the information to be kept secret within a small clique of councillors."