Number of Ealing's higher tier earners increases substantially
The number of Ealing Council officers earning more than £50,000 per annum has more than tripled over two years according to the official Statement of Accounts as presented to Cabinet this week. Two hundred and two Council employees now earn more than £50,000, and the number of Council officers earning more than £100,000 has increased from one to seven.
The document also reveals that the most highly paid officer of the Council (assumed to be the former Chief Executive, Gillian Guy) enjoyed a 50% increase in salary in the final two years of her employment, earning between £180,000 and £189,100 in 2004/05.
Conservative Finance and Human Resources Spokesman, Cllr Barbara Yerolemou stated that whilst it was pleasing to see officers well paid, she had concerns as to whether large pay increases at the top of Ealing’s corporate structure had been linked to good performance.
She said “It is worth paying good money to officers who can lift the performance of the Council and offer value for money to residents. But over the past two years we have seen the Council downgraded by the Audit Commission from ‘fair’ to ‘weak’ and Social Services officially recognised as the worst performing department in London. Meanwhile Council tax has risen at one of the fastest rates of any London authority and residents would be right to question how these pay increases can be justified.
“It is particularly surprising to see that Labour must have agreed to the highest paid officer of the Council receiving a £60,000 pay increase over two very difficult years where performance actually went backwards.”
In response, a council spokesperson said "The CPA rating is an assessment of the council as a whole and not just one person or certain individuals.
"Local government salaries are determined by national negotiations and by comparing equivalent positions in the market."
July 29, 2005