Cheshire East Council’s suggested lowest starting salary point for a new chief executive of £160,000 is “simply too low”, councillors said.
And they recommended the new salary band be from £170k to £190k, reports Belinda Ryan.
The council is on the hunt for a new chief exec because Dr Lorraine O’Donnell (pictured), whose salary package is £159,405, is leaving in October to move to the top job at Bradford Council on £205,000.
A report to today’s (September 5) meeting of Cheshire East’s appointments committee asked councillors to approve and recommend to full council a pay band for the role of chief executive of £160,000 to £190,000, so it can recruit her successor.
But deputy council leader Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) put forward an amendment upping the lower end of the band from £160,000 to £170,000, arguing the council might not attract the right candidates if it doesn’t increase its offer.
Cllr Browne said Cheshire East is the 17th most complex council in the country and also, he believed, the 17th largest in terms of population served.
“Yet when we look at the table of salaries that chief executives across the country are paid, we find ourselves either in the lowest decile or in the bottom of the league,” he said.
He said Cheshire West & Chester, which is a smaller authority, had just appointed a step-up candidate on just under £167k… “so that immediately tells me that £160k is simply too low a starting point for this position”.
He feared if the lowest band level was £160k “some very good candidates may choose not to put their names forward”.
Cllr Rod Fletcher (Alsager, Lib Dem) expressed concerns if the council did not pay enough a new chief exec could be head-hunted.
The amendment to increase the lower end of the salary from £160k to £170k was carried by four votes to three.
But an amendment proposed by Conservative group leader Janet Clowes to increase the top end of the band from £190k to £200k was defeated.
Cllr Clowes said the council wanted the best candidates – whether that be step-up or sideways.
She said someone stepping up would not be started off on £180k plus and it might not be the case a sideways candidate would be started on £200k.
But she added: “For them to know the potential is there and if the head-hunters come round to know that the potential is there and there’s a reason for staying, I think is a really important element.”
But council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab), who voted against the lower band increase of £160k to £170k, also opposed the top end increase.
“I don’t think salary is going to be the primary motivation for this person and I do think going up to £190k, that would be sufficient to attract a broad range of candidates,” he said.
“I think we should be looking to recruit on the basis of what a fantastic job this is going to be over the next few years.”
Committee chair Fiona Wilson (Macclesfield, Lab) said she didn’t believe there was evidence for going to the higher £200k figure.
Director of finance Alex Thompson told councillors a final recommendation would not be made to full council until the process was completed and no decision today was absolutely final.
The committee voted to approve and recommend to full council the proposed revision to the pay policy statement 2023/24 which introduces a pay band for the role of chief executive of £170,000 to £190,000.
Why not put them on performance related pay, that way we would save a lot of money.
Birmingham City Council pay there CEO nearly 190000 per year,I believe she is currently looking for a new challenge due to her success with making Birminghams Council bankrupt.
Might be worth a phone call,as we all now the more you pay the better the service, we’ll with Cheshires Council being such good value for money🤣😂,I am sure they could afford it.
Reading this gives cause for concern because it can be interpreted that the present CEO was considered by the current Councillors not to be worth paying more. A question can be asked what was the problem – underperformance, adverse public criticism of CEC’s performance – particularly highways maintenance etc. It would be interesting to see if there are any comments from elected members on this to update the electorate.
I do praise the Refuse Collection service that we receive.
It’s not April the first is it
Might not attract the right person for the role,well words fail me ,we are in a cost of living crisis with high council tax and the increased cost of the garden waste collection from next year,this council needs to look at cost savings not additional costs.
Not fit for purpose, and they refuse to listen to the electret, get rid and start again.