Eight Borders council executives on "Town Hall Rich List"

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

An extensive 'Town Hall Rich List' of local authority officials receiving salaries and pension contributions above £100,000 per annum published yesterday by the Taxpayers' Alliance [TA] includes the names of eight senior staff at Scottish Borders Council.

Key findings from the Alliance's research, covering every local council in the UK showed that at least 3,106 people employed in local authorities in 2022-23 received total remuneration in excess of six figures.

According to today's report: "This is an increase of 347 on 2021-22. Of these 829 received at least £150,000, 108 more than the previous year. This is the largest number of people in receipt of at least £150,000 since the Town Hall Rich List began in 2007. In 2022-23, at least 175 council employees received more than £200,00 in total remuneration.

The TA states on its website: "You know how to spend your money better than the government. Your money shouldn’t be wasted by those in charge. And you deserve a simple tax system and the best public services available. Our vision is a prosperous United Kingdom with lower, simpler taxes funding better, more efficient public services."

In its last set of annual accounts up to March 2023 the Borders local authority revealed that the number of employees whose remuneration was more than £50,000 had increased from 287 in 2022 to 361, up by more than 25 per cent. But the data did not include employers' pension and National Insurance contributions in the calculations. The TA statistics take those add-ons into account

So far as neighbouring councils are concerned, East Lothian Council had 14 people in the over £100,000 bracket, Dumfries and Galloway Council, eight; Midlothian, four; and Northumberland, 22. The Alliance notes that Daljit Lally, former chief executive and head of paid service at Northumberland Council received £359,000 compensation during 2022/23 for loss of office.

In Scotland there are a total of 311 individuals on the TA list.

The following details of the eight SBC top administrators on the 2023 'Rich List' as published by the Alliance are:

David Robertson, Director Finance and Corporate Governance until July 2022, acting Chief Executive from July 2022 to January 2023, Chief Executive from January 2023 - salary £123,117; expenses £47; pension contribution £22,133; Total remuneration £145,297.

Jen Holland, Director Strategic Commissions & Partnerships - salary £103,523; expenses £36; pension contribution £18,634; Total remuneration £122,193.

Stuart Easingwood, Director Social Work & Practice - salary £99,125; pension contribution £17,182; Total remuneration £116,307.

Clair Hepburn, Director People, Performance & Change - salary £97,840; pension contribution £17,182; Total remuneration £115,022.

Lesley Munro, Director Education & Lifelong Learning - salary £97,359; pension contribution £16,930; Total remuneration £114,289.

Jenni Craig, Director Resilient Communities - salary £96,267; pension contribution £17,182; Total remuneration £113,449.

John Curry, Director Infrastructure & Environment - salary £93,413; expenses £29; pension contribution £16,814; Total remuneration £110,256.

Ewan Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, Live Borders - salary £87,917; pension contribution £16,814; Total remuneration £103,742.