City council chiefs to ponder senior officers’ pay

THE results of a review of senior officer salaries at Manchester City Council, which will save almost £250,000 over three years, will be reported to its personnel committee today (Monday December 12).

The review was conducted to ensure that senior officers, above the council’s grade 12, were fairly and consistently paid for their responsibilities – ironing out any inconsistencies and improving transparency.

All council officers below grade 12 have already been through a similar job evaluation process and it was recognised that a similar independent process was required for the 120 most senior officers, using the nationally-recognised Local Government Senior Management Scheme to assess the relative responsibilities and challenges of roles.

The new senior officer structure will range from a new grade Senior Salary 1 starting at £56,772 to the chief executive on £195,000, less than the role’s current salary.

While the salaries of some senior officers will go down, after an initial period of pay protection, and others will increase the net result over a three-year period – in tandem with other changes to the senior management structure – will be an overall saving of £243,875.

Cllr John Flanagan, executive member for finance and human resources, said: “The council’s senior officers play a crucial role in shaping the future of the city and its services. In recent years we have reduced the number of management roles.

“This is always going to be a contentious area but we need to balance attracting and retaining the most talented officers, who are a rare commodity, with ensuring salaries which are fair for taxpayers as well as the individuals involved. I believe that this review has achieved the right balance.”

Personnel committee will be asked to approve the recommendations, which will be subject to consultation with staff and unions.