Record surge in the number of council fat cats paid more than £150,000 a year ... trends now
A record number of town hall staff are pocketing more than £150,000 a year, a report reveals today.
Despite households being hit by soaring council tax bills, at least 829 local authority employees were handed the staggering sum in pay, pensions and payoffs.
The total for 2023 has risen by 108 staff in a year – the biggest rise on record. It is now at the highest level since the TaxPayers' Alliance launched the 'rich list' in 2007.
The campaign group found 188 council workers had salaries that were higher than the £165,000 a prime minister can claim.
Others left their jobs with golden handshakes of more than £400,000 or were awarded bonuses of over £70,000.
The highest total pay and pension packet across local government for 2022-23 was £651,158 - it was handed to Felicity Roe (pictured), the former director of culture, communities and business services at Hampshire County Council
They were among 3,106 town hall staff whose total remuneration topped £100,000 in 2022-23, the most since 2015.
The figures will cause anger among council tax payers whose bills were increased by an average of 5.1 per cent in England last week to reach £2,171 for a typical Band D property.
At the same time many town halls are cutting back on their services such as bin collections, pothole repairs and libraries, blaming rising demand and a shortfall of cash.
Six have effectively gone bust and many more say they are on the brink.
John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'The new financial year has seen council tax soar across the country, and taxpayers will notice that top brass pay has simultaneously surged.
'Local authorities provide crucial services and residents will want to make sure they are getting bang for their buck with their ever-increasing bills.
'Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services, or whether town hall bosses can get better value for money.'
The highest total pay and pension packet across local government for 2022-23 was £651,158.
It was handed out to Felicity Roe, the former director of culture, communities and business services at Hampshire County Council – which just last
