Petition seeks to cut top pay at Telford council

A campaign has been launched to ensure the next person appointed to take the reins at Telford & Wrekin Council is paid 10 per cent less than their predecessor.

The petition, which says in the current climate anyone appointed as the council's new 'managing director' should have their pay slashed, has been launched by Shropshire Tax Payers Alliance

Denis Allen, from the Alliance, said it would be unacceptable if the person brought in to replace the departed Victor Brownlees received a massive wage.

Mr Brownlees left the council as chief executive in July. He was paid £149,000 per year.

Mr Allen, a former member of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "We believe that if the person brought in to replace Mr Brownlees is on a similar wage that it would be unacceptable."

He added: "This is an opportunity for the council to bring someone in on a sensible wage.

"I lost my seat on the council this year but had previously represented different areas from 1979.

"So I know how much waste goes on at the council."

Mr Allen added: "I think the people they are getting rid of at the council do the hard work and the management attend a lot of meetings.

"The Shropshire branch of the Tax Payers Alliance has only just been launched and this is our first campaign. Hopefully people will support it and sign the petition."

Council chiefs said that they are looking to appoint a replacement for Mr Brownlees early next year and stress the incoming managing director will be on a lower wage.

Council leader Councillor Kuldip Sahota said: "The council has always said that the new managing director role, which we expect to recruit to early next year, will be a different more hands-on role than the chief executive's was."

Less

He added: "We have always been clear that the new managing director role will be paid less than the chief executive's post was.

"A further review of the council's senior management is expected shortly which will give detail of the difference between the salaries, but we expect that this review will add to the £1.75 million a year we are already saving by more than halving the number of senior managers in the council in the last two years.