Town hall fats cats on more than £100k to face vote on pay packets under plans to rein in council spending

GRASPING town hall fat cats earning more than £100,000 face having their hefty pay packets put to a vote, The Sun can reveal.

Michael Gove wants to stop council bosses rinsing the taxpayer for six-figure sums which are undeserved. 

Rex

The Levelling Up Secretary has written to Cabinet colleagues seeking approval to pass new laws as soon as possible – and could feature in next week’s King’s Speech. 

As councils come under massive financial strain, he said it was paramount “limited resources are used in the most effective way possible”.

Mr Gove told senior ministers: “Excessive salaries in local government should be limited by ensuring oversight of senior pay.” 

The plans are expected to give elected councillors the final sign-off on all pay packages exceeding £100,000.

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In England and Wales there are at least 2,759 employees bagging more than £100,000 in total remuneration, according to the TaxPayers’ Alliance latest Town Hall Rich List.

The annual name-and-shame ranking singled out Westminster Council for having the most staff on six-figures, clocking in at 50.  

Meanwhile several local authorities are on the brink of bankruptcy, while other cash-strapped councils have warned of gaping funding black holes.

And residents are on the hook for big council tax hikes next year, with the average band D household paying an extra £99.

A government source said: “There are far too many bloated bureaucrat salaries in local government and we must ensure that taxpayers aren’t getting a raw deal.

“Of course we want councils to attract top talent, but we need proper transparency over who is paid what and why and a democratic check on councils splurging taxpayers money on town hall fat cats without good reason.”

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “This is a step in the right direction for controlling top level pay in councils.

“Town hall bosses have seen pay packets surge for years without democratic oversight.”