LOCAL authorities have come under fire for cutting services rather than slashing ‘huge’ pay packets – as it emerges that 16 people in councils across south and west Dorset cost the taxpayer more than £100,000 each.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance releases details ever year of the number of local authority employees who rake in salaries and benefits of more than £100,000 annually.

Weymouth and Portland Borough, West Dorset District and Dorset County Council all publish the salaries of their senior management team on their website.

According to the information released by the campaign group, the number of managers at Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset District with remuneration of more than £100,000 has increased from just one in 2014/15 to four in 2015/16.

The Dorsetforyou website states that chief executive of the tri-council partnership Matt Prosser is paid a salary of £131,300 while an assistant chief executive and three strategic directors are paid between £87,000 and £97,000 each.

A spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance said their analysis of four employees is correct and that the discrepancy is due to their research showing the total cost to the taxpayer – which includes benefits and pensions – rather than just the salary.

In contrast to the increases at borough and district council level, the number of senior managers paid more than £100,000 at Dorset County Council has reduced from 15 in 2014/15 to 12 in 2015/16.

This authority has cut staff across all levels since 2013 in its Forward Together Programme, which helped the county council make savings of almost £50m.

John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof.

“Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay.

“Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with the number of people on six-figure deals actually going up since last year.

“There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities.”

"We have been working hard to find reductions and provide a high standard of service"

MATT Prosser, Chief Executive of North Dorset District Council, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, said: “We have been working hard in the face of ever-reducing funding from government in order to find reductions in costs at the same time as providing a high standard of service to our residents.

“The partnership between North Dorset District Council, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council was formed in order to meet the challenge of these cuts head on.

“Part of the formation of this partnership included a management restructure of three Chief Executives reduced to one and 11.5 Directors reduced to three with one Assistant Chief Executive.

“Our Senior Management costs, as well as overall staff costs are shared over three councils meaning excellent value for tax payers.”

Dorset County Council’s chief executive Debbie Ward said: “As the largest Local Authority in Dorset the demands on senior managers has grown significant as the County Council has continued to reduce the number of senior staff and the pay bill to help in achieving significant savings as a result of government reductions in funding. 

“The figures quoted are not the salaries that are paid as they also include the overheads of employing the staff. The salary details were published most recently in January 2017 and confirm the actual salary level and the shared costs for posts employed with other Local authorities including 3 listed as County Council employees who work for Bournemouth BC, Poole Council and the County Council. 

“The difference between our lowest paid employees and our highest has continued to reduce, unlike the published figures from large companies, as has the cost of the employment package for the Chief Executive role which is now less than it was in 2009/10. 

“All our staff play important roles in our communities and these senior staff are important in leading our services and staff through very significant times of change.”