Chichester District Council has approved a pay rise of more than £5,600 for its chief executive officer.
During a meeting on Tuesday (November 19), it was agreed that Diane Shepherd’s pay should increase by £5,651 to £142,286, back-dated to June.
Mark Chilton, cabinet member for finance, said the CEO’s salary had not been reviewed for 12 years, during which time there had been pay freezes and a number of below-inflation increases.
The change was made after a review was carried out looking into how the previous salary compared to others in the region, and whether it was a fair salary.
Figures from South East Employers, which carried out the review, compared the earnings of CEOs across the county.
At Crawley Borough Council the CEO earns £127,756; at Horsham District Council it’s £132,333; at Mid Sussex District Council £151,714, at Arun District Council £140,000, and at Adur & Worthing Councils £162,417.
The review found that Ms Shepherd’s salary was in the lower quartile of chief executive pay, with a shortfall of between £3,349 and £8,283.
The £5,651 increase is the mid-point between the two.
