£91,000 in bonuses for County Hall elite

The 12 highest paid officers, which make up the corporate leadership team, shared a bonus pot of just more than £91,000.

This is on top of their individual annual salaries, which, excluding expenses and pension contributions, cost the county council a total £1,583,421.

In 2008/09 the county council paid out £57,000 in bonuses to the top team.

The figures comes just weeks after an Echo report revealed a leaked county council document showed council bosses planned to stop bonus payments to the lowest paid employees.

It also said the council planned to cut 85 jobs, and introduce a two-year pay freeze.

However, the county council has hit back and said the bonuses were merited and the corporate management team has reduced by one since 2008/09, saving £80,000. Among those receiving the top payouts in 2009/10 was James Bell, executive director for finance and transformation, who received a pay packet of £182,000, and a bonus of £13,600.

He has since left to become chief executive officer at Staffordshire County Council.

Fiona McEvoy, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “The council almost doubled the amount it’s given out in bonuses at a time of financial uncertainty.

“Taxpayers, many of whom are struggling in the wake of the recession, shouldn’t have to top up the already impressive salaries of council executives.

“Across the country people have been facing pay freezes and redundancy. It’s just insulting these town hall bosses have remained completely insulated from economic reality.”

A spokeswoman for Essex County Council defended the bonuses.

She said: “Overall, Essex County Council has reduced the amount paid to the corporate leadership team by over £80,000 in the last year. This figure includes the rise in bonus payments.

“These payments were made to senior managers which are on a performance related pay scheme.

“The salaries of senior officers are based upon a market comparison with London and the South East.”