New Council Boss to be paid £195,000 (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

New Council Boss to be paid £195,000

June 29, 2006 6:40 PM

New Council Chief Executive

From the Swindon Advertiser: SWINDON Council's national search for a new chief executive to replace Sir Mike Pitt has ended in the office next door. The council has announced deputy chief executive Gavin Jones will take over from Sir Mike in July.

He is expected to pick up more than £195,000 in salary and perks which is a bigger pay packet than Prime Minister Tony Blair receives.

The salary is almost twice the national average for council bosses.

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The package, which includes a car loan, on-site nursery and a free Swindon Card represents 0.5 per cent of Swindon's annual council tax haul.

Working a 60-hour week, Mr Jones will be paid £70 an hour and ten times the average wage of those below him.

Mr Jones said he would give value for money.

It comes after a national recruitment campaign launched in May in which then-leader Mike Bawden expected candidates from unitary authorities, London boroughs and the civil service.

Now Mr Jones who acted as chief executive before the appointment of Sir Mike Pitt has been given the nod.

South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said the internal appointment was a huge waste of money.

"He had better be good," Mrs Snelgrove, who is paid £59,095 as an MP, said.

"The fact that the new chief executive has been recruited internally means this extortionate pay package has been a waste of taxpayers' money.

"The whole point of the extra pay was to attract talent from outside.

"He has been a good deputy and I wish him luck, but if they knew they had talent inside Swindon why did they put the pay up by so much?"

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Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Stan Pajak said:

"Gavin is an excellent appointment although one must question the administration's loaded salary scheme which favours the top rather than the council's many workers. These are the people who do the work and have direct contact with the residents of our town.

"Gavin has an excellent rapport with his staff, an understanding of Swindon and above all the crucial element for someone in his role - a sense of humour!"