Walsall Council hires £1,000-a-day director while cutting £86 million and axing staff
Cash-strapped Walsall Council is to spend £100,000 on a six-month interim director despite facing cuts of £86 million and being forced to lay off hundreds of staff.
The council has hired an 'executive director for change and governance' to oversee finance, legal, human resources and other support functions – on a wage of up to £1,000 a day for four-days-a-week.
It comes as the council plans to close 14 libraries, relocate the leather museum and start charging for garden waste.
The move has been branded 'disgraceful' and 'obscene,' with councillors boycotting the meeting in which the appointment was announced.
Walsall Council has confirmed the new appointment but declined to comment on the salary or the identity of the new director when asked.
However the Express & Star has learned they will be earning between £800 and £1,000 a day for four days a week, adding up to around £100,000 over six months.
Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall's Conservative Party, said: "To give someone this salary when you are potentially cutting 400 jobs is obscene.
"In my view the council should appoint someone internally.
"I refused to attend the meeting where they made the appointment as did my colleague. It is up to people to make their own minds up but I think it is an unnecessary appointment and quite frankly disgraceful. This £100,000-or-so could be five jobs."
"How on the one hand can you ask people to pay more for services then on the other appoint someone earning this kind of money?"
This new director, appointed on November 2, will be replacing Rory Borealis who left the council in January.
Walsall Council was asked by the Express & Star who the person was, how much they were being paid and for some further details about the role. They were also asked what Mr Borealis's salary was for comparison.
Councillor Sean Coughlan, Labour leader of the council, said: "Over recent years the council has made savings of £123m. We have just launched the consultation process on our plans for the next four years during which we will have to save a further £86m.
"We have reduced our management structures and improved efficiency but there remain many significant challenges.
"The council has been holding vacant several senior posts. Filling this post on a temporary basis will ensure that we have the capacity and skills we need. We need to ensure we have the capacity and skills for the task we face."
