I see the annual Daily Mail ‘Fat Cats in Public Sector Outcry' has begun again. Outrage is heaped upon outrage as the lists of these well paid men and women who run local authorities and other public services are revealed. I checked my blood pressure to ensure I wasn't about to keel over with disgust at my tax burden being used to fund these so called exorbitant salaries and guess what? Not a flicker. That is because I don't believe chief executives in local authorities are overpaid. The Taxpayer's Alliance has produced a rich list of senior staff from a range of authorities and are now releasing details of those paid over £100K. I am with the Local Government Association who said that council salaries were ‘very good value for money'! I also agree with ministers who suggest that councils must ensure that salaries are affordable. So how to square the circle? Firstly, there needs to be a basic recognition that people who earn the top salaries are responsible for multimillion pound budgets in highly complex organisations, and to both attract and retain the best, competitive salaries need to be paid. If you compare senior salaries in the private sector to those in the public sector the taxpayer gets very good value for money. The best really do need to be demonstrably the best though. We should measure our top people on their contribution and the outcomes, they are responsible for and the added value they bring to communities. Many of my colleagues in the private sector who are envious of the benefits we receive in the public sector, such as pensions, leave entitlements and flexible working arrangements, are equally astounded at the relatively low basic salaries of the top executives in comparison with the private sector. We do, as taxpayers, need to get maximum productivity within the public sector, and the salary should be proportionate to the market and the challenge. Its more difficult for us to measure productivity than in other sectors. The private sector can measure profit and we have to measure public value, a much more nebulous concept. I am not insulted or outranged or even mildly concerned by decent salaries for chief executives, chief constables and others who hold down difficult complex and demanding jobs in the full glare of the media. I will however experience all these emotions in line with the Taxpayer's Alliance if I see incompetent performance or less than excellent services for local people. Public sector pay must be kept relevant, attractive and be under appropriate controls. But let's not jump on the fat cats bandwagon. Those who have worked at senior levels in the public sector know how demanding the jobs can be, the compromises and the personal sacrifices made to balance these hugely challenging roles. There are shortages in terms of the skills available in the market and we need to make sure we continue to pay competitive and realistic salaries to our best people
