'That is obscene!' - Dudley Council plans to pay top executive £200,000 sparks Facebook fury

At its meeting on March 2, the council rubber stamped an award which will see the authority’s chief executive’s salary increase to £202,057 from April.

Dudley’s leader told councillors the chief executive was ensuring financial stability at the council, which last year was facing effective bankruptcy but the meeting also heard from opposition councillor Shaukat Ali who said residents are angry because they are not seeing improvements in frontline services.

Residents have been airing their views on Facebook where Jayne Withers said: “We can’t keep paying just one person at the top when there are so many in need at the bottom!

“At some point a person with a modicum of intelligence will sort this out!!!! We all work hard and we all pay our tax but, come on!!!”

Fran Barber said: “That’s an obscene amount of money, just what do they do to earn that while taxes go up all the time and people are struggling with household bills.”

Dudley Council recently held a management restructure which its leadership says saved £1m and contributor Mick Jones reckons cutting top jobs may be the way to go.

Mr Jones said: “Get rid of a dozen of these officers, the system would still continue plus they’d have tens of thousands of pounds to run the council efficiently.”

Jan Taylor is concerned about the future of the whole country, she said: “That explains why no money to repair roads, sort out potholes, get new bins sorted etc etc.

“It’s our council tax money. We should have a say in how it’s used, if this kind of money is paid annually to one person!! The UK has definitely lost its way! God help us all.”

Keith Oakley is among readers who highlighted the fact the Prime Minister earns less than Dudley’s chief executive, although he did not exactly give Keir Starmer a glowing report.

Mr Oakley said: “No one in the public sector should earn more than the Prime Minister. I know the PM is not doing a very good job but he is supposed to be running a country.”

Sandra Perry also wants more cash for frontline services, she said: “That’s where the tax increase is going then, while housing say there’s no homes, children and adults services limited, roads are a mess and shouldn’t the people on the ground doing the work get the pay rise, not them at the top?”

Potholes continue to be a big issue for Dudley borough people, Roger Taylor said: “They’ve got no money to maintain the roads so I have to continue to drive round like Super Mario avoiding pot holes.”

One resident was hoping for a handout to fill a pothole which he says is so deep it is giving him nightmares about a fictional horror story character that lives in sewers.

Danny Clives said: “Hi chief, could you spare some cash to fill the pothole by Russell’s Hall Hospital please? The other day I went so far underground I saw Pennywise.”