Introduction
Town Hall Rich List 2021 marks the 14th version of this list, first compiled in 2007. For the past 14 years the TaxPayers’ Alliance has assembled the most comprehensive list of council employees in the UK in receipt of over £100,000 in total remuneration.
For the average (band D) property, taxpayers in England will have to pay a council tax rise of 4.4 per cent or an extra £81 per year in 2021-22.[1] Wales will see an average increase of 3.8 per cent.[2] Scottish councils have frozen 2021-22 council tax rates at 2020-21 levels. This is in exchange for receiving a cash grant from the Scottish government equivalent to a three per cent council tax increase.[3]
Against this background, the number of local authority employees receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration has risen to the highest level since 2013-14.[4]
Click here to read the report.
Click here for council-by-council breakdown of data.
Key findings
- At least 2,802 people employed by local authorities in 2019-20 received more than £100,000 in total remuneration, an increase of 135 on 2018-19. 693 received over £150,000, 26 more than the previous year.
- The average number of employees who received over £100,000 in total remuneration per local authority is seven. The average number receiving over £150,000 is 1.7 employees per council.
- The local authority with the greatest number of employees whose remuneration was in excess of £100,000 was Essex county council with 40 employees, five more than the previous year. Glasgow had the highest number of employees receiving over £150,000 at 14, two more than the previous year.
- The highest remunerated council employee in 2019-20 was the deputy chief executive at Coventry council, receiving £573,660 in total remuneration. This included a loss of office payment of £395,110, pension payment of £26,559, and salary of £151,991.
- A total of 31 local authority employees received remuneration in excess of a quarter of a million pounds in 2019-20. This was one fewer than the previous year.
- The local authority to pay out the highest amount in terms of bonuses and performance related pay to a senior employee was Edinburgh city council, with the general manager of Edinburgh Trams receiving a £48,895 bonus.
- Total expenses paid to senior employees in the UK amounted to £1,274,497, with the highest amount (£38,043) being claimed by Simon Baker, the now former chief executive of High Peak borough council.
- A total of 21 local authority employees received a loss of office payment of more than £95,000, the cap on payoffs for public sector employees. This cap was briefly in force between 4 November 2020 and 12 February 2021 and did not cover the period of this year’s Town Hall Rich List. It has since been revoked.[5]
Click here to read the report.
Click here for council-by-council breakdown of data.
How you can help:
- Sign our petition calling for an end to council tax rises
- Raise awareness by sharing on Facebook and Twitter
[1] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2021 to 2022, 25 March 2021, www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2021-to-2022, (accessed 25 March 2021).
[2] StatsWales, Annual increase in average band D council tax, by billing authority, https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Local-Government/Finance/Council-Tax/Levels/annualpercentageincreaseinaveragebanddcounciltax-by-billingauthority, (accessed 25 March 2021).
[3] BBC, All Scottish councils agree to tax freeze, 11 March 2021, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56320853, (accessed 25 March 2021).
[4] TaxPayers’ Alliance, Town Hall Rich List 2015, 2015.
[5] Sharma, M, Public sector redundancy payment cap scrapped by government, HR Review, 15 February 2021, www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/public-sector-redundancy-payment-cap-scrapped-by-government/131756, (accessed 25 March 2021).