Almost 100 council chiefs across region earning six figure sums

Earlier this year, local authorities across the six boroughs confirmed they would ask households to dip into their coffers a little more as they said they were increasing coucil tax once again.

In Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens, council tax bills have been put up by the maximum amount of 4.99% to cover the next financial year.

The increase is split across council services – The additional 2% is specifically ring fenced towards the continuing increase in social care costs.

At the same time however, almost 90 officials from across the five council areas took home six figure pay packets during the last financial year, 2024-25. Details of these arrangements are usually published via the individual council’s website.

Data compiled by the TaxPayers’ Alliance analysed how many individuals at councils nationwide were earning £100,000 annually and above. This is the 20th occasion the study has been undertaken.

Among those taking home the big bucks include chief executives from our local authorities, with Andrew Lewis, Liverpool’s chief officer earning a salary of £227,000. His counterpart in Knowsley, Mike Harden, has a yearly pay packet of £202,000.

Phil Porter, Sefton’s chief executive is remunerated to the tune of £178,000 a year while former St Helens Council boss Kath O’Dwyer took home £179,000. She was replaced in the role by Mark Palethorpe 12 months ago.

Wirral Council chief executive Paul Satoor received £201,000 as a yearly wage according to the figures. In Liverpool, 40 officials are listed with six figure salaries, including the entire corporate leadership team.

This is compared to 12 each in Knowsley and Wirral and 15 in Sefton and St Helens respectively. Of the 99 officials listed in the data, just 11 earned under £100,000 in terms of salary.

Across the country, an unnamed official from Staffordshire Council was the highest remunerated, pocketing £457,500. Their job title is also unidentified.

There were at least 4,733 local authority employees receiving £100,000 or more in total remuneration during the financial year throughout the UK.

TaxPayers’ Alliance statement

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are caught in a pincer movement with a record-breaking tax burden on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other.

“Our latest Town Hall Rich List exposes a surging class of council bosses enjoying six-figure packages, even as they plead poverty, slash frontline services, and hike council tax bills far beyond inflation. Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they’re getting value for money.”

Responding to the findings, a Liverpool Council spokesperson said: “We are one of the largest councils in the country with a multi-billion pound turnover and senior staff who are responsible for hundreds of staff and multiple services. Their remuneration reflects their role and responsibilities, is benchmarked against similar positions in other local authorities, and the details are published on our website.”

St Helens Council's response

A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: “St Helens Borough Council uses the nationally negotiated pay spines as the basis for its local pay structure, including our senior officer leadership, as well as benchmarking and market testing against comparable roles. Each year we publish salary data to ensure transparency with regard to the council’s approach to setting pay.

“The need to recruit the best leadership for an organisation which employs thousands of people, with significant statutory, financial and social responsibility is critical. We continue to pay competitive rates for these roles in an increasingly challenging recruitment market to ensure that we deliver the best possible service for residents.”

Wirral, Knowsley and Sefton Councils did not respond to requests for comment ahead of publication.