26 staff at Portsmouth, Fareham and Hampshire councils earn more than £100,000

This is an increase from the six employees in 2018 who were paid a six-figure salary.

Figures compiled by the Taypayers’ Alliance showed that in 2019 a total of 2,667 local authority employees across the UK topped the £100,000 salary mark.

Among those at Portsmouth City Council earning top whack was chief executive David Williams who was the highest paid at £184,916 for the year - above the prime minister's salary of £158,000.

Other high-earning city civil servants included the director of regeneration Tristan Samuels, on £129,862 a year, and the director of children services and education Alison Jeffery, on £124,860.

However, a city council spokesman said high salaries were needed to ‘attract and retain staff’ and that their roles are also spread across to Gosport Borough Council.

He said: ‘Senior officers’ salaries at Portsmouth City Council are competitive and commensurate in order to attract and retain experienced and well-qualified individuals suitable for these challenging roles.

‘Since 2016 Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council have had a shared senior management team, including a chief executive, giving greater value for money for local tax payers.’

The same data showed at Fareham Borough Council one staff member earned more than £100,000 - the chief executive Peter Grimwood £138,266.

Across Hampshire County Council 16 employees were paid over £100,000 including chief executive John Coughlan who took home a whopping £220,518.

A spokeswoman for Hampshire County Council said: ‘Hampshire County Council is one of the largest and most effective public sector organisations in the country, with a turnover of £2 billion per year, employing over 10,000 people directly and many more indirectly, who deliver a wide range of complex and essential services.

‘We need to recruit and retain the best senior officers but in doing so we constantly ensure that our rates of pay are competitive, but sustainable.’

This year residents in Portsmouth saw a council tax hike of four per cent, and those in Hampshire had an increase of 3.99 per cent.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance criticised the salaries when considering increased council tax.

He said: ‘The country needs every council to cut out waste and prioritise key services without resorting to punishing tax hikes on their residents.’

Havant and Gosport borough councils were not on the organisation’s Town Hall Rich List.

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