Are Council 'fat cats' for the chop?

Leader of Bucks County Council (BCC), Martin Tett, said the decision over who runs a single-unitary council will ultimately fall on the new executive, however he expects one chief to take the helm.

Cutting three of the four current chief executives at BCC and the four district councils would save the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds a year – as all are on top salaries.

Figures taken from 2017 state chief executive for Bucks County Council, Rachael Shimmin is paid £195,000 per year and Wycombe District Council’s Karen Satterford rakes in £143,310.

Chiltern District Council and South Bucks District Council’s Bob Smith gets between £126,250 and £135,40, while Andrew Grant at Aylesbury Vale District Council is paid between £125,028 and £145, 247.

Chairman of Wycombe Labour, Khalil Ahmed, believes there is “no future” for the chief executives at a single –unitary authority.

He said: “It is a bit sad really but they will be made redundant. There would be no future for the chief executives in the new model.

“There probably will need a chief executive at the new council. They’ll advertise the role and get the current chief executives to interview for it – that would be the fairest process.

“There was no mention of chief executives in any of the proposals as far as I can remember, so I would imagine that is how it would work.”