£80,000 Shropshire Council man gets relocation cash
The boss of Shropshire Council's new company will be paid £100,000 a year less than Shirehall's former chief executive, but still gets £6,500 to relocate to the county, it has emerged.
Council leader Keith Barrow told cabinet members the 'small grant' will be on top of Tom Roehricht's £80,000 salary as managing director of IP&E, the company being set up to run some services at a profit, but he will get no bonuses or extras.
Councillor Barrow told yesterday's meeting at the Severn Centre, in Highley: "I'm confident IP&E will work.
"He (Mr Roehricht) is really going to be an asset to us; I'm really pleased we've managed to recruit him."
Details of the relocation grant came a day after Councillor Barrow reassured Bridgnorth Town Council that former Shirehall chief executive Kim Ryley is no longer on the payroll.
He told members on Tuesday that Mr Roehricht would earn £100,000 a year less than Mr Ryley, who joined Cheshire East Council in July.
Councillor Barrow stressed that while Mr Ryley was still technically employed by Shropshire Council, his salary would be paid by Cheshire East until he retired.
Mr Roehricht is the former boss of linen and workwear supplier Sunlight Direct and comes from Scotland. He leaves behind directorships at furniture fabric makers Abbotsford and a management consultancy firm.
His LinkedIn profile reveals he has experience at Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, Price Waterhouse and Cadbury Schweppes.
Councillor Barrow welcomed a pledge by Lib Dem leader Nigel Hartin to work with the council over IP&E, adding it was 'a shame' that Labour hadn't done so.
Up to 1,700 of the council's 6,500 staff could be moved to the new firm initially.
IP&E, which has been loaned £500,000 by taxpayers to cover start-up costs, is being set up to run some council services under changes allowed in the government's localism Bill.
