Local Government Rich List

The Taxpayer's Alliance have been doing some heavyweight research to find out exactly how much the local government fat cats are troughing.
The results can be found here
http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/thrl2010.pdf
It's almost 200 pages long but it's worth checking up how much the top dogs and bitches at your local council are trousering.
There are at least 1250 of them earning more than £100,000 a year, and in this time of economic uncertainty, where many in the private sector have either lost their jobs, had below inflation pay rises or indeed, pay freezes or cuts, isn't it heartening to know that this figure has grown by 14% since 2007-8?
Well no actually.
These people are public servants. They serve us. Remember that.

I checked the list and found that Corby Borough Council don't have anyone earning more than £100k, but Kettering Borough Council's Town Clerk (or as he prefers to be addressed, Chief Executive) David Cook earns a whopping £145,000.
My council tax goes to pay his salary, then his pension, then the other salaries, then their pensions... oh and if there's anything left, they might empty my bin every couple of weeks.
I worked as a binman as an agency temp a few years ago. It was hard work and I was paid the national minimum wage, which as everyone knows, is actually the national maximum wage.
If the Chief Executive's pay were cut back to £100k (still four times the national average) they could afford to employ a couple more bin men. They'd be a lot more useful.

Northants County Council have seven people earning more than £100k. I'm not sure what any of them actually do, as their titles are in government doublespeak. I mean, what exactly is a "Director for Community Leadership"? We pay him/her over £117k. Nice little earner that.
And the Chief Executive gets almost £180k!

East Northants Town Clerk (sorry, chief executive) earned about £105k


South Northants failed to respond to the TPA's Freedom of Information requests.
Remember that. "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear"?

Northampton Borough Council also refused to give the information, despite being asked under the Freedom of Information Act. "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear", eh?




Wellingborough council's chief executive "only" earned £110k. Compared to Kettering, that's good value. Both Corby and Wellingborough have free car parking for their shoppers and their chief executives earn far less than Kettering's.
Does this mean that parking charges in my town are there to help pay the Chief Executive's salary? We need to be told.


I encourage you all to have a look at the TPA report, and ask yourself if our local councils are serving us, or are we serving them?


http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/thrl2010.pdf