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Top managers in local government are worth their salaries, the sector's leaders claim, after criticism by a government minister. The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives rejected a challenge by local government minister, John Healey, who has vowed to publish the renumeration of local authority chief executives and other senior managers. David Clark, SOLACE director general, said his members carried out ‘big, complex jobs requiring people of real talent'. He said: ‘The average shire county council, for example, employs 22,000 people. If that was a private sector job, they would be paid three times that income.' Mr Healey had argued that accountability and performance were behind his decision to move the issue up the political agenda. The minister said: ‘We've seen, in some councils, salaries spiralling. We've seen some big pay-offs for failure, and that can't go on. I think the public need to know the full picture. And that's why I'm going to change the rules.' But Mr Clark challenged the minister. He said: ‘Taxpayers have a legitimate interest in how their money is being spent. ‘But these are big, complex organisations, and particularly at a time of economic downturn, you want the most competent people to do those jobs. ‘The public sector needs great managers because we are in a serious recession and the public will want good services without an increase in taxes.' Mr Clark's comments were echoed by the Local Government Association. LGA chief executive, John Ransford, said: ‘Chief executives are responsible for multimillion-pound budgets in highly-complex organisations, and councils are determined to attract the best and brightest people to deliver not only value for money, but the highest standards of public services.'

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FINANCE

SOLACE defends salaries as Healey vows to expose data

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