Council to slash Town Hall salary bill

WARRINGTON Borough Council is hoping to save almost half a million pounds by re-structuring its senior management team.
The Labour administration have proposed to remove a number of jobs, including one of the top Executive Director posts, reducing the size of the management team from 20 to 16.
It will help to save approximately £204,000 a year compared to last year, to add to further savings made by reducing the number of directors.
Cllr Hitesh Patel (pictured, right), the council’s Executive Board member responsible for Personnel, said: “When Labour took over control of the Town Hall in 2011 we inherited a Council which had five directorates. We initially reduced that to four, and now we’re proposing to reduce it to three.
“We will have driven through a 20% reduction in the number of all senior management jobs and we will be spending around £494,000 a year less on top salaries.”
If the proposal is endorsed by the Executive Board at its meeting next Monday (July 15), and subject to acceptance at the full Council meeting in October, the council will be left with three directors doing the work previously done by five.
Council leader Cllr Terry O’Neill added: “The Coalition Government is slashing 30% off our budget, that’s a massive £50million. By saving money on top salaries we’re helping to protect council services and front line jobs. This is absolutely vital in these times of austerity.
“Through this restructure of our senior management team, alongside our policies of innovation and creativity in how we run and finance council services, we’re laying the basis for a more prosperous and stable and secure future for Warrington and the people who live and work here.”
The proposed structure would see one chief executive, three directors, three operational directors and nine assistant directors.