New £83,000 executive hired a year after council cull in senior bosses (From Daily Echo)
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Hampshire County Council hires new boss to tackle the credit crunch
7:19am Monday 22nd October 2012 in News
New £83,000 council executive - hired one year after cull in senior bosses
COUNTY council bosses have hired a new £83,000 executive – just a year after culling senior managers.
David Fletcher, 47, has been appointed to the post of assistant director for economic development with a brief to boost the local economy and tackle the credit crunch.
Just 12 months ago Alison Quant took early retirement from her £140,000 director of economic development post.
Her job was axed and the economic department merged with the environment and transport department as a cost-cutting measure.
Now the new taxpayer-funded position has been created by Tory council chiefs in a bid to “bring clear direction and impetus to develop Hampshire’s economy”.
Mr Fletcher will be paid up to £83,000 plus contributions to his final salary pension worth thousands more.
His appointment comes against a backdrop of the councils cutting the number of managers by 25 per cent.
The local authority had 359 managers earning between £50,000 and £125,000 in March 2012 compared to 451 the previous year.
By April 2014 the county council will have 1,700 fewer staff than in 2010, with net savings of £46m on its salary bill.
But the new post has been slammed by an anti-tax group as sending out the wrong message at a time of general belttightening.
Christine Melsom, founder of IsItFair, said: “His pay and pension will be worth nearly £100,000 a year. The last thing local taxpayers need is a big bill for a new council manager.“
"It is sending out the wrong message. We are all having to tighten our belts and the council should too.”
Bosses at the county council said Mr Fletcher would lead a drive to increase Hampshire’s economic prosperity, including inward investment, tourism, and enterprise.
His role will involve working with other local authorities, the Solent and Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnerships.
Mr Fletcher, a father-of-two, has spent the past ten years working as head of an economic development body in Sheffield.
Other previous posts include a senior business development role in the property and construction sector with Wimpey.
Councillor Keith House, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on the county council, said: “The proof for or against this new post will come against the number of jobs created and the amount of extra growth in the Hampshire economy.”
WHY WE NEED NEW £83,000 EXECUTIVE - COUNCIL CHIEF DEFENDS APPOINTMENT - CLICK HERE
Comments(10)
Linesman
says...
9:41am Mon 22 Oct 12
Over the Edge
says...
11:44am Mon 22 Oct 12
Business will come to Hampshire if they want to, if there are financial incentives to come here then they will if there are other area's offering incentives they will go there.
southy
says...
12:49pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Torchie1
says...
2:27pm Mon 22 Oct 12
southy wrote:Would you care to comment on the Union fat cats who get paid a lot more than these top managers?
Its time to look at all the top managers pay, some are earning way over the top, and whats with the councillors could they off not done this job, as part of the elected council job.
southy
says...
3:00pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Torchie1 wrote:The difference is Torchie (it might of escape your notice) that Union bosses do not I repeat DO NOT get paid by public money, Council Bosses do,
southy wrote:Would you care to comment on the Union fat cats who get paid a lot more than these top managers?
Its time to look at all the top managers pay, some are earning way over the top, and whats with the councillors could they off not done this job, as part of the elected council job.
plus most Union bosses do not get paid as much, and the figures you see are total cost that includes expensese, where here you seeing the figures with out expenses.
And if you want to dive in a direction out side the public money, just not that many bosses and company board directors are earning well over 150,000 a year and also advoid paying the faullamount of taxes.
Torchie1
says...
3:24pm Mon 22 Oct 12
southy wrote:You either get paid highly or you don't but it seems you can always find a case for supporting your union colleagues and another for attacking the 'bosses'. The remuneration packages of private company executives is nothing to do with you but it doesn't stop you regularly attacking them. I can't make up my mind whether you have a chip on both shoulders or just the one.
Torchie1 wrote:The difference is Torchie (it might of escape your notice) that Union bosses do not I repeat DO NOT get paid by public money, Council Bosses do,
southy wrote:Would you care to comment on the Union fat cats who get paid a lot more than these top managers?
Its time to look at all the top managers pay, some are earning way over the top, and whats with the councillors could they off not done this job, as part of the elected council job.
plus most Union bosses do not get paid as much, and the figures you see are total cost that includes expensese, where here you seeing the figures with out expenses.
And if you want to dive in a direction out side the public money, just not that many bosses and company board directors are earning well over 150,000 a year and also advoid paying the faullamount of taxes.
southy
says...
3:56pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Torchie1 wrote:Its the same with Union Leaders as nothing do with you and your attacks on them all the time, if you want to have a say in there matters then join one and vote with in the Union.
southy wrote:You either get paid highly or you don't but it seems you can always find a case for supporting your union colleagues and another for attacking the 'bosses'. The remuneration packages of private company executives is nothing to do with you but it doesn't stop you regularly attacking them. I can't make up my mind whether you have a chip on both shoulders or just the one.
Torchie1 wrote:The difference is Torchie (it might of escape your notice) that Union bosses do not I repeat DO NOT get paid by public money, Council Bosses do,
southy wrote:Would you care to comment on the Union fat cats who get paid a lot more than these top managers?
Its time to look at all the top managers pay, some are earning way over the top, and whats with the councillors could they off not done this job, as part of the elected council job.
plus most Union bosses do not get paid as much, and the figures you see are total cost that includes expensese, where here you seeing the figures with out expenses.
And if you want to dive in a direction out side the public money, just not that many bosses and company board directors are earning well over 150,000 a year and also advoid paying the faullamount of taxes.
I do not care about how much the private sector bosses earn in wages, but what I do care about is when they avoid paying the full amount of taxes, that do have some thing to do with me and every one else, also those that take public service jobs have some thing to do with me and every one else.
Boatman
says...
5:19pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Huffter
says...
6:08pm Mon 22 Oct 12
alan.of.eastleigh says...
9:27am Mon 22 Oct 12