Revealed: More than 50 council employees in the Black Country and Staffordshire paid more than £100,000 last year
More than 50 council employees in the Black Country and Staffordshire were paid more than £100,000 last year – with several receiving higher annual salaries than the prime minister.
The latest edition of the Taxpayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List revealed 52 workers in the region were on a salary of more than £100,000 in the 2022/23 financial year.
According to the list, the highest earner at a council in the region was John Henderson, who was chief executive of Staffordshire County Council for around eight years, and was paid a salary of £243,313.
He joined the council in May 2015 and as head of the paid service led the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was more than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had a salary entitlement of £164,951 in 2022-23 according to Taxpayers’ Alliance.
Mr Henderson was among 14 employees at Staffordshire County Council who were paid an annual salary of more than £100,000.
The next highest paid employee was Dr Richard Harling, director of health and care, who was paid £173,027, followed by the director of corporate services who was on £155,878 and the director of economy, infrastructure and skills on £150,942.
A spokesperson for Staffordshire County Council said: “The figures represented each year by the Taxpayers' Alliance are inflated to include payments such as pension contributions and do not reflect the actual salaries to senior staff.
“As a county council serving nearly 900,000 residents, with an annual turnover of more than £1.4 billion, it is important that we can attract and retain the very best staff.
