Council to consider £32k hike to top exec’s pay

Wolverhampton’s top officer could be in for an salary hike of £32,000 if a new pay deal is approved.

The city council is set to debate a report highlighting how chief executive Tim Johnson’s pay is lower than comparable authorities which means there is a risk he may leave.

To catch up the council will need to boost pay according to the report’s authors, local government recruitment specialists Penna, who put forward a range of proposals.

A report for a full council meeting on November 6, said: “Penna’s report sets out the challenging conditions that continue to face local government in terms of recruitment and retention – it is therefore important the council continue to develop and attract high-quality talent. 

“It is imperative that we have a fair and competitive offer to ensure we have the right people in the right roles delivering for our city.”

After a survey of local authority executive salaries, Penna placed Wolverhampton at the bottom of the league for top pay among Black Country councils.

The city’s highest earner only trousers between £167,000 and £178,000 compared to bankrupt Birmingham where the highest pay grade ranges between £207,000 and a whopping £312,500.

According to Penna’s research, the level of council chief executives pay is struggling to keep up with their equivalents in health boards and trusts, who can earn up to £275,000 based on figures from 2022, while the top dogs in multi-academy education trusts earn more than £200,000 with some pay as high as £300,000.

All public sector pay for top earners is dwarfed by the private sector where the median salary for the top 100 FTSE companies is an eye-watering £3.81m.

Councillors will discuss executive pay as part of a debate on the Our Future programme of reform which includes the loss of a number of senior executive jobs.

Any increase in the chief executive’s pay would be funded by the removal of the role of deputy director of transport which would save the council £103,000.