Ex-Shropshire Council boss Kim Ryley to stay on in new job in Cheshire
Shropshire Council's former £180,000-a-year boss Kim Ryley – who left the authority after less than three years in charge – is being kept on in his new job but on lower pay, it has been revealed.
Mr Ryley left Shirehall suddenly in July to join neighbouring Cheshire East Council. Now it has emerged Mr Ryley is being kept on as Cheshire East's interim chief executive on a salary equivalent to £140,000-a-year until the end of March.
When Mr Ryley departed Shirehall as chief executive, Shropshire Council leader Councillor Keith Barrow said the move was a secondment under an arrangement 'allowing our neighbours to benefit from Kim's accomplished experience in local government'.
The deal between the councils was for three months, and Councillor Barrow said at the time that Mr Ryley would probably retire after his stint in Cheshire.
However, now Mr Ryley is being kept on and he becomes a direct employee of Cheshire East from today.
It means Mr Ryley is now off the books as an employee at Shropshire Council, with his employment there officially ending yesterday.
Councillor Barrow said today: "I just wish him well and I'm glad he's doing well there. He is off the books of Shropshire Council and will now be paid directly by Cheshire East Council."
Cheshire East's last chief executive Erika Wenzel quit her £189,000-a-year job in June after a period of sick leave.
In a statement issued following a meeting of its staffing committee yesterday, Cheshire East Council said: "Kim Ryley's secondment from Shropshire Council to act as the interim chief executive at Cheshire East Council ended yesterday and it has been agreed that he continue in a temporary position until the end of March 2013.
"It has been agreed that he will now be employed on a temporary contract by Cheshire East Council as its interim chief executive, on a salary equivalent to £140,000 a year, until the end of March 2013."
By Tom Johannsen
