Conservative Councillors award Council managers £290,000 Retention payment (Hexham Liberal Democrats)

Hexham Liberal Democrats <info@hexhamlibdems.org.uk>

Conservative Councillors award Council managers £290,000 Retention payment

January 31, 2008 12:00 AM

Equivalent of £12.00 on your council tax bill

A Freedom of Information request to Tynedale Council by a member of the public has finally exposed the size of the retention payments scheme to be over £290,000. The controversial retention payments are to be paid to senior council managers as "golden handcuffs" in an effort to keep them at the council in the run up to the new Unitary Council.

Councillor Derek Kennedy said "£290,000 is a staggering amount and I have opposed these payments all along. It is very disappointing that the Council has deliberately kept the size of these payments a secret, this is public money and the public have a right to know how their money is being spent. How can the Conservative Councillors justify this expenditure when senior managers already get very good salaries and executive staff cars. If a manager loses their job they receive a very generous redundancy package, most managers will get a job in the new unitary council anyway, and therefore the retention payment seems to be a bonus. £290,000 is the equivalent of £12.00 on every council tax bill. We are seeing other public servants such as the Police offered derisory pay awards and the public suffering rising mortgages, utility and Council tax bills."

Please email us with your views on the Retention Payments.