Sheffield Council forced to reveal it paid £1,250 a day for interim chief executive

The council initially refused a Freedom of Information Act request by Rob Waugh, investigative journalist, to share the full cost of Charlie Adan’s services saying it was commercially confidential – a stance backed by the Information Commissioner after an appeal.

But after further appeal, an Information Rights Tribunal ruled against the council and commissioner, forcing the authority to make the details public.

What did the FOI reveal?

The council spent £208,137 on Ms Adan’s nine month extended term in charge between January and October last year, according to its accounts.

This was £60,000 more than the salary paid to former full-time chief executive John Mothersole for the final nine months of his tenure before Ms Adan was appointed.

A council report published in December 2019 estimated a monthly cost of £18,750 for the interim chief executive but the authority ended up paying an average of more than £23,000 a month.

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The FOI request also revealed that Ms Adan was expected to work four days a week but this increased to five days around the time the pandemic struck.

Eugene Walker, executive director of resources at the council, said: “The council works hard to achieve the right balance between protecting commercial confidentiality and the public’s right to know.

“The potential costs of the engagement of an interim chief executive were detailed in a report to the council on December 4, 2019 and as with all costs, this was published in line with our transparency reporting standards.

“Where the Information Rights Tribunal suggests we have not met the levels expected, we will accept their conclusion.”

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How much are top council officers paid?

Data from the Taxpayer’s Alliance earlier this year showed the top seven officers’ salaries amounted to almost £1 million.

After the chief executive, the highest earning officers were: Eugene Walker, executive director of resources (£170,147), Laraine Manley, executive director of place (£168,417) and Greg Fell, the director of public health (£137,300).

Earlier this year, Russell Johnson, member of the public, questioned the council on this spending, particularly in relation to the chief executive.

He said it was wasteful and could be seen as a ‘kick in the teeth’ by deprived residents.