Chesterfield Online Forum
General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: Old Cruser on July 29, 2014, 08:32:53 PM
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With all the cut backs coming how can they justify paying anyone £85,000 per year???
They say they are losing some of their 'senior management team' and so will save money
But £85,000 A YEAR.
Come CBC get real >:(
Cash-strapped council chiefs have defended their decision to employ two new executive directors each on £85,000 per year.
A group representing taxpayers claims the move by Chesterfield Borough Council – which needs to save £1million over the next year – will “raise eyebrows”.
But the authority insists the controversial step will actually cut the cost and number of senior managers.
Andy Silvester, campaigns manager at the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Councils across the UK are having to find savings after years of spending beyond their means – so these salaries will raise eyebrows.
“At a time when the council is pleading poverty and talking about increasing charges, local residents will want to know that every penny of these significant pay packets is hard-earned.”
Huw Bowen, chief executive at the borough council, said: “This move will actually save taxpayers £110,000 each year and follows a restructure of our senior management team that will see five head of service posts removed and replaced with two new executive director posts and a chief finance officer post.
“This is on top of the £181,000 saved since 2012 by not filling the vacant deputy chief executive and head of housing posts.
“The changes made actually reduce the cost and number of senior managers – something which the Taxpayers’ Alliance has been campaigning for.
“It also seeks to ensure the council has the very best senior officers to implement the decisions of the town’s politicians so we can continue to deliver great facilities and services for the people of Chesterfield.
“These types of restructures have happened throughout the organisation as we seek to deliver high-quality customer services while also reducing costs.”
The new posts were originally advertised internally and the affected employees were invited to apply for their jobs.
Both were unsuccessful and have received undisclosed redundancy payments so the posts are now being advertised externall
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CBC will claim that if they don't pay the same rates of pay as the private sector they won't attract the right calibre of applicant. To a degree I can understand that as these directors will control multi-million pound budgets (much as they would in industry). It's just that it'll be public money and they won't be answerable to shareholders but to elected members and ultimately the electorate.
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So unless the council are paying a friend a nudge nudge ::)
Which is very doubtful.
It doesn't actually look as bad as it reads. :-\
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Mr Bowen is being a little economical with the truth unless there's journalistic licence
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These posts are replacing Deputy Chief Executive (established post but not currently filled) and 4 Heads Of Service and are part of savings forced by reduction of government grants but don't expect the Derbyshire Times o report it like that.
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Deputy not currently filled? Are we toeing the party line again Cllr?
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Why the need for a CEO? The Executive Directors should have sufficient knowledge and experience to run the show?
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You have to have a single named person as the legal entity. The Treasurer (head of finance chief accountant whatever) is the same legal entity for the finances.
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Apparently other councils manage without a CEO, saving over 100K a year + on-costs.
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someone would still have to be named and be the one the 'buck stops with'.
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Don't BDC and NEDDC share a CEO? Amber Valley BC doesn't have a CEO, one of the Executive Directors is Head of Paid Service.
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Still makes him first amongst equals and paid more. Is Cllr Slacker quiet because he's trying to find out the truth?
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You'll find they're both within a £75,000 - £80,000 salary band and one of them is a woman....
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Deputy not currently filled? Are we toeing the party line again Cllr?
Previous one left about 3 years ago and there was a short period where someone was acting deputy.
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A short period? I think that short period was most of the 3 years!!! Which makes 4 people being made redundant taking about 75 years worth of Chesterfield experience out of the door with them in favour no doubt of two chinless wonders full of management guru bs and no real understanding of the needs of the community. But then it doesn't help when the chief exec chooses to live in Buxton!!!!
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Surely the elected members are the ones who provide local knowledge; officers require professional knowledge, expertise and experience to carry out their political masters' desires.
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To a degree yes but they also carry the professional local knowledge of why a certain planning application will fail, where a particular land drain goes and why etc etc
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That's not really detail that 2nd tier of management structure should be involved in, their role is more involved with inter department co-ordination and leadership
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But when they've come up through the ranks as two of them have they carry that knowledge to guide colleagues. As for inter departmental cooperation unless things have changed massively there is none. Classic case. Engineers department are in contact with private company over the provision of bus shelters that would be free to the borough due to advertising. Knowing that bright illuminated shelters are an emotive subject they involved the planning department getting their agreement on size, brightness locations etc. Company agrees to all the restrictions. 10 shiny new bus shelters for the borough at no cost. Yippee. Planning permission was submitted. And the planners turned it down saying the shelters were too big and too bright!!!!!
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That seems more like the planners not talking to the planners!
I agree with Slacker; directors in a local authority, like those in the private sector, should be dealing with strategic and budgetary matters rather than the day to day operational aspects of their various service areas.
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Unlikely that managers can do all aspects of the job under them.
I've been in charge of operational gangs but it doesn't mean I can lay a row of kerbs
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Slacker I have two words for you: Graham Hodgson!!!
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Admin managers probably do have knowledge of procedures under them, managers of a wide range of technical functions are unlikely to
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To be honest I'd say the opposite is true. Far too often in local government good engineers, planners Eho's etc get promoted to such a point where they spend all their time being 'managers' and little on their technical area. Problem is most of them are poor managers!!
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Surely that backs up the argument to set on people with leadership ability rather than specialists?