Shocking figures have revealed that Northumberland County Council is paying 20 high-up employees more than £100,000 a year - the highest of any council in the North East.
The data, collected as part of the Town Hall Rich List 2022 by the TaxPayer's Alliance, revealed a remuneration package paid to the former adult services and community director totalled £572,916.
This was the third highest payment made to any council member of staff in the country and the highest in the north of England. A remuneration package is the complete bundle of pay, benefits and perks given to an employee.
It comes just days after council tax in Northumberland rose by 4.24 per cent, made up of a 1.99% base increase plus a further 2.25% earmarked for adult social care.
The highest-paid council employees, when taking into account pensions payments, expenses, bonuses and salary were as follows:
- Unnamed service director - adult services and community - £572,916
- Allison Joynson - Director of transformation - £191,258
- Cath McEvoy-Carr - Executive director of adults and children's services - £189,353
- Kelly Angus - Executive director of HR and OD and deputy chief executive - ££185,456
- Dajlit Lally - chief executive and head of paid service - £172,779
Responding to the figures, council leader Glen Sanderson pledged to make significant cuts to the council's wage budget by the end of the year.
He said: "I am aware that the county council is generous in its' pay. One of the reasons for that is to attract the right staff as we have to be competitive when we're reasonably removed geographically.
"However, we're undertaking a review and I am looking to make a saving of at least £1 million in wages, because we need to recognise that Northumberland is not as as isolated as it was. We don't need to be so competitive."
Coun Sanderson added that he expected the review to begin around next month.
Also included in the data was a revelation that the council's CEO, Daljit Lally, claimed £40,000 in expenses - the highest of any council officer in the country.
However, this is a fixed amount as remuneration for her national advisory work and international work that has previously generated significant sums for the council's coffers.
A spokesman for Northumberland Labour branded the significant cost of wages as "not acceptable" and blamed the issue on an internal row between the administration and the CEO, which has led to a number of officers in interim positions creating a "huge" over £100,000 salary position.
Coun Sanderson retorted that the interim staff had been brought in to replace "good officers" who had left the council and no permanent staff had been brought in under either his leadership or his predecessor, Peter Jackson.
He added that there were a number of issues at the council, which is why he had commissioned Max Caller to conduct an independent review of governance at the authority.
Northumberland County Council have been contacted for comment, but declined to provide one.
Elsewhere in the North East, Newcastle City Council paid out 10 packages over £100,000. The highest went to CEO Patricia Ritchie, who received a £188,948 pay packet.
North Tyneside Council also paid out 10 packages, with Paul Hanson's £189,430 package the highest, while Gateshead Council paid out eight, with the highest (£172,636) going to CEO Sheena Ramsey.
