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Press Release

LGA response to TPA report on senior pay

17 March 2011

Responding to the TaxPayers' Alliance report on senior local government salaries LGA Chief Executive, John Ransford, said:

“Councils provide more than 700 services local people want and need, from collecting rubbish and maintaining roads to providing schools and caring for the elderly. Many have large budgets and need to pay competitive wages if they are to attract and keep people capable of delivering the best services at the lowest cost.

“Senior salaries represent just 2.58 per cent of the overall local government wage bill and local authorities are widely acknowledged as the most efficient part of the public sector. As the TaxPayers' Alliance accepts a significant number of salary increases were brought about by one-off redundancy payments made as councils strive to become even more efficient. Those increases represent a short-term spike caused by councils introducing measures like sharing chief executives and merging back offices which will significantly reduce management costs in the long term.

“Senior council staff do not set their own salaries. They are set by politically proportionate committees of elected councillors. As a result they are open to a high level of democratic accountability. It is right that council salaries are open to public scrutiny and senior salaries are posted on council websites. The fact the TaxPayers' Alliance can compile this report reflects the high level of transparency in local government. We look forward to top salaries in all parts of the public sector being examined in a similar way.”



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