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  • "Perhaps people would be inclined to take your comments more seriously if you got your facts correct. No council employee receives a bonus, there have been no pay rises for three years and pay has effectively been reduced. All are accountable to the Members. It is not just the private sector that is bearing the brunt in these difficult times. With regards to the standard of council services, just how do you expect services to rackedoff ;;;says.improve or even remain the same when the budget has to be reduced by £70 million? Like anywhere, there are people who work for the council who do the minimum, but the vast majority care deeply about this county and the work that they do. They are an easy target, and your comments are incorrect and unfair.
    Totally agree rackedoff, most the comments have NO IDEA what they are on about they have this misconception that the workers are on big money and perks, IF they can find them show me where they are, Its at the the managment? levels that it happens, ALSO i deal with services supplied by the PRIVATE sector and most of it is poor, untrained and expensive, it has to be chased as its unreliable, need i go on? the council workers have the experience and back up so get off the workers backs and get on the MPs back to get a grip of the overpaid and underworked managers."
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Fury over £75,800 salary for new role at County Hall

7:40am Friday 3rd August 2012 in News By Tom Edwards

Clare Mitchell, the new assistant chief executive. Clare Mitchell, the new assistant chief executive.

AN assistant chief executive has been appointed at Worcestershire County Council – on a £75,800 salary.

Clare Mitchell, a former chief officer for the NHS and production manager at Hovis, has been promoted in-house to the role. The salary will steadily increase upwards to a high of £83,490.

Her old position of head of change has been deleted – a job which involved working on a controversial plan to save £90 million by 2015.

The new title means she will continue to implement the cuts programme alongside the overall leadership of chief executive Trish Haines , and take on extra responsibilities.

County Hall’s opposition Labour group has reacted angrily to the move, saying the salary is far in excess what most rank-and-file workers get.

Councillor Peter McDonald, leader of the Labour group, said: “We should not be paying this kind of money to people at the top – what message does this send to the workers at the bottom of the pile?”

Councillor Tom Wells, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “At a time of swingeing cuts this looks unfortunate. Residents would rather see the money spent on frontline services.”

But the council says it is making ongoing savings in management costs and that Ms Mitchell’s old role paid the same rate.

The authority is also deleting the head of community leadership role, which currently belongs to Simon Adams and pays £75,000.

As your Worcester News first revealed in June, the authority is also making two directors redundant. Diane Tilley, director of planning, economy and performance, is leaving her £107,000-a-year job in September, while adult services director Eddie Clarke is being axed from his £124,000 role next year.

Mrs Haines said: “We now have a smaller, tighter senior management arrangement able to lead the council in responding to the challenges ahead. This builds on the £3.5 million savings made through management costs over the last four years and the planned savings of a further £3 million over the next three years.”

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