Eight Bradford Council officers were paid a salary of over £100,000 in the 2023/24 financial year – new figures have revealed.
And another two almost earned that amount, despite not working the full 12 months.
The Taxpayer’s Alliance has today published its Town Hall Rich List – detailing all the local government workers in the country who earn over £100,000.
The list shows that nationally 3,906 officials received more than £100,000, with 1,092 receiving over £150,000 in 2023-24.
Usually the highest paid official working for Bradford Council is the Authority’s Chief Executive.
However, the year the data relates to saw former Chief Executive Kersten England leave Bradford Council mid way through the year, and her replacement Lorraine O’Donnell taking on the role.
From 1 April 2023 to 15 October 2023, Ms England earned £111,552, along with pension contributions of £18,741.
From 16 October 2023 to 1 April 2024, Ms O’Donnell earned £97,532, with pension contributions of £16,385.
Joanne Hyde, Strategic Director of Corporate Resources, was paid £158,342 over the year, as was Iain Macbeath, Strategic Director of Health and Social Care.
Each received £26,601 in pension contributions.
Maruim Haque, Strategic Director for Children’s Services, received £154,012, with pension contributions of £25,874.
David Shepherd, Strategic Director of Place, received £152,205 with a £25,570 pension contribution.
The names of four other top earners are “undisclosed” by the Taxpayers Alliance.
They include the Council’s Director of Public Health, who was paid £112,403 with £18,974 in pension contributions, the Director of Human Resources who received £112,403 with a £18,884 contribution and the Assistant Director to the Officer of the Chief Executive on £106,268 with a £17,853 pension contribution.
The Director of Legal and Governance, whose name is also undisclosed, earned £90,260, with a pension contribution of £15,164, before leaving the job in January 2024.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “As our latest town hall rich list demonstrates, the number of council staff with six-figure remuneration packages has surged at the same time that services are being slashed and council tax is being hiked above inflation.
“Local residents can look up their own authority in our list and judge the quality of services and their council tax bill against the pay packets of their council bosses.”
Bradford Council has been approached for a comment but has yet to respond.
When the list was published last year, a Council spokesperson said: “The salaries the Council pays to its senior staff are in line with the rate equivalent roles are paid in other councils.
“The Council is part of national collective pay bargaining which is undertaken by the Local Government Employers Association nationally with the recognised trade unions.”
Today’s figures show that Bradford’s neighbour Leeds is the local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber with the most employees who receive remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24, with staff receiving that amount.
