Thanet Council Costs

Thanet Council is promoting the fact that the increase in council tax is the lowest in [its] history. Rather an intriguing word choice. Since a large proportion of local council tax (72%) makes it way to Kent County Council, those like CEO Peter Gilroy (£207,000 a year) are paid from the collective local council tax 'contributions'. Were it to be lower remuneration then council tax would be even lower. This principle is the same as government, which has no money of its own and simply amasses the collective 'contributions' of the taxpayer and then spends it as if it is their personal (non-taxed) income. The arrogance to then lecture people is always obnoxious.

To claim that an "increase" in  council tax is the "lowest"
in [its] history is simple arrogant rubbish and attempts to
convince the people that they are receiving value
especially when there has been a refusal to

publish relevant information

Gilroy Maximises Take (Conservative-run authority)
Cllr Alex King, deputy leader of the authority, defended the salary:

• 
“In recognition of this the council’s personnel committee, which consists of elected members from all the political parties, agreed to renew his contract in November 2006 on a total salary of £207,000 per annum and provision for a performance related bonus

• “He receives no company car, health insurance, mortgage relief or any other fringe benefit.”

Notably, there is no mention of pension entitlement or 

petrol allowance for not running a 

(non-)company car

• Labelled a 'disgrace'
  

Town Hall Rich List 2010
Sacking The CEO

• Refused to release names or breakdown of remuneration. This is despite an ICO judgement in our favour over Kent's refusal for last year's Town Hall Rich List

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

The secrecy is appalling and the obvious conclusion is that there is something that must be hidden from the taxpayers of Kent. Some of the remuneration increases are 0%, but some into treble figures (247.6%) that do not involve any assumption of redundancy payments. These appear to be very generous, though without any indication of length of service cannot be judged excessive or otherwise. (Salary change from previous year in parenthesis)

• Chief Executive
• £245,000 (-3.9%)

• MD Children, Families & Education (left in 2008-09)
• £305,000 (56.4%) [Assumed that this remuneration package includes a redundancy payment of up to £110,000]

• MD Kent Adult Social Services
• £175,000 (0%)

• MD Communities
• £175,000 (12.9%)

• Director Business Solutions & Policy
• £165,000 (22.2%)

• Director Law & Governance
• £135,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Finance
• £155,000 (14.8%)

• Director of Property
• £145,000 (16.0%)

• Director of Operations, Kent Adult Social Services
• £125,000 (8.7%)

• Assistant to Chief Executive
• £115,000

• Director of Commissioning (Specialist Services), Children & Families
• £105,000

• Director of Kent Highways Services
• £105,000 (0%)

• Director, ASK
• £105,000 

• Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance (left in 2008-09)
• £145,000 (38.1%) [Assumed that this remuneration package includes a redundancy payment up to £40,000]

• Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Children and Families
• £105,000

• Director of Children's Social Services
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Operations, Children and Families
• £105,000

• Director of Resources, Children & Families
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Resources, Kent Adult Social Services
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Policy, Performance & Quality Assurance, Kent Adult Social Service
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Commissioning & Provision, East Kent Adult Social Services
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Commissioning & Provision, West Kent Adult Social Services
• £115,000 (9.5%)

• Director, Commercial Services
• £115,000 (9.5%)

• Director of Personnel & Development
• £105,000 (0.0%)

• Director of Community Safety & Regulatory Services
• £105,000

• Head of Financial Services & Acting Director of Finance
• £105,000

• Head of Financial Management & Acting Director of Finance
• £105,000

• MD Environment & Regeneration (left in 2008-09)
• £365,000 (247.6%) [Assumed that this remuneration package includes a redundancy payment up to£260,000]

• Former Co-Director of Regeneration and Economy
• £194,500

• Former County Planning Officer
• £145,000

• Former Director, Standards and Achievement 
• £135,000 [Assumed that this remuneration package includes an unknown redundancy payment as the designation of former has no 2007-2008 remuneration]

• Interim Managing Director, Children, Families and Education
• £115,000

• Interim Managing Director, Children, Families and Education
• £115,000

• Divisional Director, Regulatory Services
• £105,000

• Assistant Chief Executive, Locate in Kent 
• £105,000

TaxPayers' Alliance