Town Hall Rich List: The Sunderland City Council top jobs earning more than £100,000

The latest figures published in the TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List have revealed the highest salaries in local authorities across the UK.

And on Wearside, 16 local authority employees were paid a combined total of almost £2.1 million, including pension contributions, in 2020/21 – ten more than broke the threshold when last year’s data was released.

This included £191,600 alone for council chief executive Patrick Melia – more than five times what his boss, Cllr Graeme Miller, is entitled to claim in 'special responsibility allowance’ for his role as leader of the council.

A spokesman for the local authority said: “Sunderland City Council oversees and is responsible for delivering hundreds of services to more than 275,000 residents.

“These include critical and crucial services to thousands of vulnerable adults and children, alongside delivering ambitious social and economic regeneration plans for a more dynamic, healthy and vibrant 21st century Sunderland.

“This work involves major social and legal responsibilities which can be reflected in senior salaries, including pensions and benefits.”

Nationally, the data found the number of officials receiving more than £100,000 went up to 2,921 during the covid pandemic, with 739 getting more than £150,000.

After Mr Melia’s £191,600-a-year salary, the data showed the next best paid figure was Peter McIntyre, executive director of city development, on £150,552.

The council’s executive director of neighbourhoods and executive director of corporate services received £140,044 each, with the director of people, communications and partnerships on £72,173.

A further 11 “undisclosed” positions were each paid between between £102,500 – £137,500.

The former chief executive of Croydon council, Jo Negrini, received a staggering £613,895, the highest remuneration of any council employee in the country.

For the second year running, Northumberland was named the North East council with the most employees receiving more than £100,000 in 2020/21 with 20 - seven more than the previous year.

In the North East as a whole, the number of council employees paid more than £100,000 rose from 95 in 2019/20 to 110 in 2020/21.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: “Taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis want to know they are getting value for money from their local authority leadership.

“With households having suffered through the pandemic and now struggling under colossal tax bills, the country needs councils to prioritise key services without resorting to punishing tax hikes.

“These figures will allow residents to judge town hall bosses for themselves and hold their local councils to account.”

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