A stand-in senior council chief will earn more than £180,000 a year – with the pay packet defended by the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the position of interim monitoring officer is essential for the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) to legally operate, writes Local Democracy Reporter Oliver Castle
This comes as the GLCCA said that the recipient will be paid a ‘day rate’ of £1295 plus VAT and they will work three days a week.
This is the equivalent to £182,595 (+VAT) a year, based on a 47-week period.
But Ms Jenkyns, said: “With the previous office holder having left and unexpectedly creating a vacancy, an interim appointment was needed to ensure continuity and legal compliance.
“We need this role to legally operate as a combined authority. We have already started the recruitment process for a permanent replacement.
“The pay reflects the market rate and the high level of accountability the role carries. We look forward to appointing a permanent monitoring officer very soon.”
But Coun Ashley Baxter (Independent – Market Deeping and West Deeping ward) has criticised the monitoring officer’s pay.
Coun Baxter, leader of South Kesteven District Council, said: “Prior to the mayoral elections in May, an interim staff was established to ensure the combined authority could legally function. The team was, and still is, comprised of officers seconded from existing councils.
“The mayor allowed a full six months to pass before she even established a process for recruiting permanent officers.
“Although recruitment has now finally started, none have actually been appointed. Even when interviews have taken place, it is likely the successful applicants will be required to give several weeks’ notice which will mean expensive temporary staff will be paid for even longer.
“This extraordinary delay has resulted in the costly recruitment of two more senior officers on interim contracts.”
He went on to say that he has “no doubt” that the new officer is “qualified and capable” but questioned why the daily rate is equivalent to a salary “far higher than the Prime Minister”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) has a reported combined salary of £166,786.
Coun Baxter added that the delay in appointing statutory officers would not have happened if the GLCCA had not “procrastinated for such a very long time” over the appointment of staff.
A spokesperson for the GLCCA said that the role was a legal requirement.
The spokesperson added: “The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority has appointed an Interim Monitoring Officer to ensure strong governance and legal compliance.
“This role also serves as the statutory senior legal officer for the authority, a position critical to safeguarding the legality and integrity of decision-making.
“The pay for this interim appointment is aligned with market rates and reflects the complexity, responsibility and statutory accountability required.
“The monitoring officer role upholds transparency and good governance, which demands significant expertise and experience.
“This is a temporary arrangement while the permanent recruitment process is under way. Applications for the permanent role are currently open and will close on January 12.
“The authority is committed to attracting the best talent to support its ambitious plans for Greater Lincolnshire.”
