Council senior post offers £71K salary

Rochdale Borough Council is offering up to a £71,000 for a new senior executive.

The post, which requires a senior person to take on democratic services, is to replace borough solicitor Catherine Witham, who is leaving to work for another council.

The hefty salary is, like all other posts both senior and non senior, going to be reviewed as part of the controversial pay and grading scheme, but it is unclear at this stage whether it will increase, decrease or stay the same.

Roger Ellis, chief executive of Rochdale Borough Council said: “Many councils have bigger budgets than FTSE100 companies and to get the brightest people to deliver the best services for local people they need to pay competitive salaries - although at nothing like the levels paid in such companies.

“We have compared the salary offered for this post with salaries offered by other councils for similar posts and are satisfied that it is necessary to offer this amount to attract good candidates for this vitally important role. However, the salary for this post, and for about 150 other senior management positions, is being reviewed.

“Although the national pay and grading review did not apply to such posts, and as such the Council had no obligation to do so, unlike many other councils, Rochdale has chosen to review all senior salaries."

A council worker who did not want to be named said: “I am not alone in the view that the council are doing this all wrong, so many of us had our wages cut and still they are forking massive salaries to senior staff”.

The closing date for the post has already passed.