West Berks Council CEO paid more than Prime Minister, Good for him! Options

[Andy Capp]

I don't care howe much he is paid.

Good luck to him I say.

Which is a part of the problem, if indeed there is one.

[dannyboy]

Which is a part of the problem, if indeed there is one.

I doubt there is.

[Claude]

It's easy to be critical

I agree, it is easy to be critical, and in my opinion any crticism has to be constructive, otherwise it's just moaning, and that benefits nobody.

I think we should all congratulate Nick Carter, West Berks CEO, he's worth every penny!

Sherlock, you are entitled to your opinion, but I do not agree. Sure, Nick Carter may have put in an enormous amount of effort over the course of a year but I cannot say I agree with his financial reward and him being 'worth' it.

If West Berkshire Council were to impose a salary cap for the Chief Executive then I imagine potential candidates would simply apply for better paid jobs in other authorities, or even better paid jobs in the private sector. And that's what I think this boils down to - market rates.

If people don't think he should be paid so much, what can they do about it? I've accepted that market powers have derived salaries for these civil servants, and any reduction in salary may result in a candidate who is less capable, which would benefit nobody.

It's a tough job, someone has to do it, I for one don't fancy it but I respect NC for taking on the challenge and the salary is what it is. I don't think he's worth it, but the market has decided, and that's the way it works.

[On the edge]

The trouble is that the market has NOT decided how much this job is worth. The internal processes, based on archaic rules did that.

Frankly, the job is wholly unnecessary. The real power lies with the departmental heads, who are also amply rewarded. They should not need any co-ordination role superimposed between them and their political masters. These 'Portfolio Holders' should, collectively be doing the job presently claimed by the CEO.

There is absolutely no comparison between this role and the commercial function of the same title. For the commercial role, the individual risk and authority is much much higher - in effect acting as the Company owner. Arguably, even it it is seen as appropriate, the Local Authority role is no more or less than Chief Clerk.


Salary levels, or more to the point, the gap between top and bottom is acknowledged to be far too wide in UK. A good while back, merchant bankers J.P Morgan recommended that the highest salary should be twenty times the lowest. That was, of course, for the commercial roles. Public service for the reasons given above would be much lower - a median management salary. So, using a rough rule of thumb, say £12,000 is base point, the maximum commercial rate would be £240,000. If that was halved, to produce the median management level, then we are looking at £120,000. This would, of course, include all the non financial perks, employers pension fund contribution etc. etc.

[NWNREADER]

Lots of opinions on the value of a job, either as work done or wage paid. If the work is of no value then the wage should be minimal - no-one wants to pay over the odds for anything. Then again, making a decision without knowing the detail can be a problem...
If the job has a value then it has a wage bracketed to it and the successful candidate gets it. If that person is successful then they continue to get the wage, if not they should walk the plank.

Is the claim made that NC is not worth the wage, or that WBC should not be offering that wage, or that WBC should not be offering the post?

[Simon Kirby]

... but the market has decided, and that's the way it works.

Not so.

In general people would like to earn more than they do, and this greed pressure drives salaries up.

In a commercial organisation this inflationary pressure is balanced by the productivity of the company. If the company employs good staff it makes good profits and it can afford to employ even better staff, but if the company employs poor staff its profits fall and if it wants to arrest that decline it has to sack its poor managers and find better ones. All things being equal individuals tend to earn their talent's worth in their chosen market by the action of market forces.

In public service the greed pressure is just the same, but there is no balancing productivity. In public service the revenue isn't generated in proportion to the quality of the "product", the revenue is simply collected from the tax-payer, so public servants have a considerable degree of latitude to pay themselves more or less whatever they want, subject only to the oversight of elected politicians - who are advised by those same local government officers.

There is some degree of linkage between the roles in private and public service and this goes some way to setting market rate wages, but the roles are often not directly comparable, and less so the higher up the food chain you go.

[Simon Kirby]

Is the claim made that NC is not worth the wage, or that WBC should not be offering that wage, or that WBC should not be offering the post?

For myself I have pretty much no idea what NC does and even less idea how well he does it so I'm saying nothing about him, my point is simply that the WBC chief executive roles doesn't need anyone with more than £120k's worth of competence and ability so I'd cap the job (and all other public service jobs) at £120k. That's still an awful lot of money.

[MontyPython]

I don't care howe much he is paid.

Good luck to him I say.

You do not appear to care how the council tax is spent in West Berks.

This may be that you have so much money that you don't care, or perhaps you don't pay council tax and therefore you are not bothered for that reason.

[motormad]

You do not appear to care how the council tax is spent in West Berks.

This may be that you have so much money that you don't care, or perhaps you don't pay council tax and therefore you are not bothered for that reason.

Unlike Dannyboy (who is rich from his own business) I have enough money for a comfortable live, without being minted, and I pay council tax, and I'm not bothered to be honest.

What do you say to that?

[Andy Capp]

Unlike Dannyboy (who is rich from his own business) I have enough money for a comfortable live, without being minted, and I pay council tax, and I'm not bothered to be honest. What do you say to that?

I'm not surprised. Kids tend to have a myopic outlook on life.

[motormad]

Especially without my glasses which I do not wear unless driving.
And how can I be driving when I don't have a car?

[dannyboy]

You do not appear to care how the council tax is spent in West Berks.

This may be that you have so much money that you don't care, or perhaps you don't pay council tax and therefore you are not bothered for that reason.

Neither actually.

I do not care how much the CEO is paid as I am not fully up to speed on what they do, how they do it or what a similar role in the private sector would pay.

I can't be bothered to find any of that out as I have better things to do with my time, ergo I don't care what they get paid. However, having a reasonable idea of how the commercial world works I'd be willing to bet that they are not over paid, as the job isn't exactly something that only the current incumbent could do. I'd imaging there are umpteen suitable candidates willing to take on the job.

I doubt very much they care what I get paid either.

[dannyboy]

In public service the greed pressure is just the same, but there is no balancing productivity. In public service the revenue isn't generated in proportion to the quality of the "product", the revenue is simply collected from the tax-payer, so public servants have a considerable degree of latitude to pay themselves more or less whatever they want, subject only to the oversight of elected politicians - who are advised by those same local government officers.

LOL

[Andy Capp]

Neither actually.

I do not care how much the CEO is paid as I am not fully up to speed on what they do, how they do it or what a similar role in the private sector would pay.

I can't be bothered to find any of that out as I have better things to do with my time, ergo I don't care what they get paid. However, having a reasonable idea of how the commercial world works I'd be willing to bet that they are not over paid, as the job isn't exactly something that only the current incumbent could do. I'd imaging there are umpteen suitable candidates willing to take on the job.

I doubt very much they care what I get paid either.

You care enough to continually post to state how much you don't care.

[Claude]

This thread is going nowhere fast.

For all those that are against the Chief Executive's salary, what are the options, and how can they take any action?

[dannyboy]

You care enough to continually post to state how much you don't care.

Yes, I kind of expected that . I guess I should have expressed my counldn't give a toss stance on the matter by not posting at all. I have only bothered to reply to direct posts to myself, hardly 'continually posting'.



Will the straw man be along soon?

[Andy Capp]

Yes, I kind of expected that . I guess I should have expressed my counldn't give a toss stance on the matter by not posting at all. I have only bothered to reply to direct posts to myself, hardly 'continually posting'. Will the straw man be along soon?

That is up to you actually, as it is you that often employs one; however, I would not be the only one who recognises your contempt for people who complain on here about public servants, services, etc...

I just think that if people really don't care, they wouldn't post here ... I certainly wouldn't.

[dannyboy]

That is up to you actually; however, I will not be the only one who recognises your contempt for people who complain on here about public servants and services, etc.

Recognise away. Be my guest. I wouldn't go as far as to call it comtempt though

I realise that certain posters would like this forum to be their own little sounding off board where they can vent & post about how every aspect of local politics & services is in some way corrupt, below standard or just plain useless, but I don't subscribe to that POV.

[Nothing Much]

Point of view. I got that. Meat Grinder was simple but what is JT?

For about 25 years Lib-Dems and earlier versions have held sway in Richmond upon Thames.
After so long in power, corruption did rear it's head and everyone knew. Freedom of Information
went through the various stages and was constantly buffered by the CEO who refused to provide paperwork.
In the end there was a case in which the council were found guilty and made to stand on the naughty step.
Still refusing to hand over.
I have forgotten what it was about as it was my brother's moan.

In the end they formed a loose group of disgruntled voters RUG (Richmond United Group).
Were made fun of by the leader of the council Lord True. A bit of leg work and bingo. They were voted out.
Arrogance seemed to be the main reaction to the vote. "How very dare they disagree with our policies!"

The thing about CEOs is that they became a group for "Networking". Called it SOLACE.
Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. Well the Richmond Gel was at the helm.
"Oh darling if you are after 3 then I simply must have 3.25"
ce

[Andy Capp]

The thing about CEOs is that they became a group for "Networking". Called it SOLACE.
Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. Well the Richmond Gel was at the helm.
"Oh darling if you are after 3 then I simply must have 3.25" ce

Good point, but win of fail, this seems to be the way of all corporate remuneration.