Bryns's salary creeps upwards

4:25pm Thursday 19th April 2007

THE chief executive of Pembrokeshire County Council is now on a pay package worth more than £160,000, the Mercury can reveal.

In 2006/07 a cost of living pay increase brought Bryn Parry Jones' salary to £150,210, he also has a car allowance of £9,102 and received a payment of £933 in January.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Sue Perkins called the salary "absolutely appalling".

She said: "This is disgusting. I really can't think of strong enough words to express how I feel about this. Here in Pembrokeshire we have to fight to get money to do anything. We can't get money for decent footpaths or youth facilities and yet he seems happy to take this immoral sum and doesn't seem to feel the least bit guilty.

"I know people say you pay peanuts you get monkeys, but for the amount Pembrokeshire taxpayers are paying him they could buy the entire zoo."

Milford county councillor Mike Stoddart said the process by which the chief executive's salary is determined in undemocratic.

He said: "This pay rise was decided by the small clique in the cabinet. This is completely wrong, the cabinet should only be allowed to make recommendations. The decisions should be made by full cabinet.

"I would like to see how much other chief executives get per head of population because on that basis I wouldn't be surprised if Bryn Parry Jones is one of the best paid chief executives in the country."

The leader of the county council defended Mr Parry Jones pay.

Cllr John Davies said: "Having seen advertisements for chief executives in Wales in the last 18 months, and through conversations with my counterparts on other councils, I am aware that there are other local authorities paying greater amounts to their chief executive than what is being paid in Pembrokeshire.

"There are similar rural local authorities in Wales paying more to their chief executives than Pembrokeshire."

He went on to say that the council's total salary management bill is significantly less than most authorities as they apply a "lean management structure in terms of numbers".

This is why the county has the lowest council tax in England and Wales, he added.

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