9:25am Monday 29th June 2009
By Siobhan Ryan
Recession what recession?
While thousands of jobs in the private sector are being axed every week, The Argus can reveal that West Sussex County Council is this year paying 70 more staff at least £50,000 a year.
The TaxPayers Alliance campaign group branded the situation outrageous.
Council leader Henry Smith defended the county's wages policy but admitted: "Politically there needs to be a show of restraint on pay."
A report on the council's finances showed that it had 412 officers and teachers being paid between £50,000 and £60,000 in 2008/9 compared with 342 the year before.
The number of people earning between £60,000 and £70,000 rose from 76 to 89; between £70,000 and £80,000 from 29 to 30; and between £80,000 and £90,000 from 20 to 22.
Those earning more than £100,000 went up from ten to 14, with the highest salary in the £220,000 to £230,000 range.
The figures were branded outrageous by Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance.
He said: "In a time of the recession people are tightening their belts and they want to see their councils doing the same.
"This is symptomatic of what we have seen in local authorities across the country. All our studies have shown the number of people in middle management is going up in leaps and bounds.
"The same service can be delivered with fewer background bureaucrats. People would much rather see less of them.
"It does not send out a good message when council tax bills are going up. It is outrageous."
Councillor Smith said a large number of the high earners were headteachers and deputy headteachers whose salaries were decided by school governors.
Many council officers working in areas such as administration had their salaries negotiated and decided at national level.
He said: "The headteachers are running some very large and important schools and their salaries are a reflection of their commitment and work.
"Decisions are also often taken on salaries following negotiation on a national basis and we have to reflect that as well.
"I can absolutely understand people's concern when they see these figures and how much numbers have gone up and the message it appears to send out, but if you look behind them there is more to it.
"However, I do believe that in these tough economic times where people are facing pay freezes or losing their jobs, the public sector has a corporate responsibility to make sure salaries are kept in proportion.
"Politically there needs to be a show of restraint on pay."
The figures were revealed in a report to the council's audits and accounts committee, which is meeting today.
The report also showed the allowances paid out to councillors in 2008/9 totalled more than £1.14 million, while travel and subsistence payments added a further £144,038 to the taxpayers bill.
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