Sheffield City Council chief earns £40K more than the PM

John Mothersole earns a total of £184,283 - compared with Theresa May's salary of £142,500 - according to new figures released by the Taxpayers' Alliance.Executive Directors Jayne Ludlam, Laraine Manley and Eugene Walker all earn between £132, 541 and £121,437, according to the organisation.The council's director of public health Greg reportedly earns £106,076, while the salaries of a further 18 director-level positions are not disclosed on the document.Assuming these directors are on similar financial packages, the city council could be spending more than £2.000,000 a year on senior salaries.The information was released in the Taxpayers' Alliance's eleventh Town Hall rich List.Alliance chief executive John O'Connell said: "The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof. Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay. "Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with staggering pay-outs for those leaving their jobs despite a £95,000 cap passed by the last government."There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities. The government must also act to implement the exit payment cap that was passed in 2016."Mark Bennett, director of human resources, said: “Sheffield City Council is a large, complex organisation and employs nearly 7000 staff. Our Senior Officers manage sizeable budgets and responsibility for over 1000 different statutory duties and responsibilities that make a huge difference to people’s lives.“It is important that the right people with the right skills and experience are retained to deliver this important work. Senior pay is always decided by democratically elected councillors in an open and transparent way."