Buckinghamshire chief executive is fifth highest paid in the country

The chief executive of Buckinghamshire Council is among the highest paid council employees in the country, latest figures reveal.

Rachael Shimmin, who was appointed in July 2019 to head up the new Bucks-wide unitary authority, is listed as the fifth highest-paid council CEO in the latest Town Hall Rich List.

According to the data published by the TaxPayers' Alliance, Ms Shimmin, who heads up the second largest non-metropolitan unitary authority in England, received a salary of £223,909 in the 2019-20 tax year, along with pension contributions of £59,112, making a total remuneration package of £283,021.

This is higher than prime minister Boris Johnson, who receives £81,932 for being an MP and is entitled to an additional £79,469 for his role as PM.

The three highest earners at Buckinghamshire Council were all women, according to the data.

Deputy chief executive Sarah Ashmead received a salary of £175,850, along with pension contributions of £42,060, making a total remuneration package of £216,910.

The next highest-paid county council employee was Gillian Quinton, corporate director (adults, health and housing), who earns £174,681, with pension contributions of £42,994, making a total remuneration package of £217,675.

Fifteen other county council employees were paid more than £100,000. Across the country, the average number of employees receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration per local authority is seven.

Council tax payers in Bucks will pay a council tax rise of 3.99 per cent in 2021-22.

A Buckinghamshire Council spokesman said: "The Taxpayers' Alliance figures are unfortunately out of date and refer to the five Bucks councils that have not existed since April 1 2020. Since then, the ‘new’ unitary Buckinghamshire Council has been in place.

"Having just one council instead of the previous five has resulted in the need for fewer senior management posts. These reductions have resulted in senior staff savings of £1.745 million to date and included moving from four chief executives to just one.

"The senior management salaries in the new council, now one of the largest unitary authorities in the country, reflect the responsibility that their roles entail. Together, the management structure is responsible for a council with an annual gross budget of more than £1 billion, bigger than many FTSE 100 companies.

"Right now, Buckinghamshire Council remains focused on the fight against Covid-19 and continues to ensure it provides the best possible cost effectiveness and value for money for the taxpayer in all areas of its operation."

The Town Hall Rich List 2021 marks the 14th version of this list, first compiled in 2007. For the past 14 years the TaxPayers’ Alliance has assembled the most comprehensive list of council employees in the UK in receipt of over £100,000 in total remuneration.