Salary rises to £177k in hunt for new council boss
Shropshire CouncilA cash-strapped council has increased its top salary to nearly £177,000 in its search for a new chief executive.
In September last year, Andy Begley, announced he was leaving the role at Shropshire Council, prompting a recruitment drive for his successor.
Leaders warned a spiralling financial situation could leave residents paying off hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt for decades to come as a report revealed the council may have to borrow almost £800m.
According to the Taxpayers Alliance, Begley earned £167,143 a year at the helm of the local authority, and now an advert posted by WM Employer shows the salary is £176,803, plus returning officer fees.
In comparison, the annual Town Hall Rich List published last April showed David Sidaway - the chief executive of neighbouring, but smaller, Telford & Wrekin Council - was on £169,302 as of 31 March 2025, with his pension boosting it to £198,422.
When Begley stepped down, council leader Heather Kidd said that the authority was looking to fill the post immediately, but in the interim had appointed Tanya Miles, who was the executive director of people.
Under Miles' tenure, the council was granted Government loans totalling nearly £200 million, and council tax going up by 9%.
However, the position of a permanent chief executive had not been formally advertised until now.
WM Employers has said it is working in partnership with Solace in Business, a firm that helps public sector organisations recruit candidates such as chief executives and directors.
It explained that it is a "pivotal leadership role" at a time of "significant transformation."
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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