Council bosses 'fat cat' pay revealed

Steve Rumbelow, Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council, paid £157,000

Six Rochdale Council executives received salaries topping £100,000 and a seventh came close!

The TaxPayers' Alliance 'rich list' reveals the remuneration (including employers pension contributions) handed out to council bosses in the financial year 2016/17 - the most recent full year for which the data is available.

• Steve Rumbelow, Chief Executive - £157,000 
• Gail Hopper, Director of Children's Services - £145,000 
• Pauline Kane, former Director of Resources - £127,000 
• Mark Widdup, Director of Neighbourhoods - £119,000 
• John Searle, Director of Economy - £111,000 
• Andrea Fallon, Director of Public Health - £106,000
• Sheila Downey, former Director of Adult Services - £97,000

The revelations come as hugely increased council tax bills hit local residents, frontline services are cut, council workers are cut, but no cuts in executive pay.

It would take the combined pay of a staggering 50+ of the council's lowest paid workers to reach the total of £862,000 paid to the seven executives.

Mr Rumbelow's whopping package includes an employers pension contribution alone of £26,000 - close to the annual take home pay of two council workers at the other end of the pay scale.

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 20 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."

Rochdale Council did not respond to an invitation to comment.