West Sussex: Council Chief Exec Paid £100k For Three Months Work

A council chief executive at Arun District Council was paid more than £100,000 for around three months of work, according to a freedom of information request.

The current chief executive was paid £103,675 for 94 and a quarter days of work during his time as interim CEO- or £1,100 per day.

James Hassett took over the role on a temporary basis following the departure of outgoing CEO Nigel Lynn, as the council had not been able to find a replacement before he left.

Mr Hassett was interim CEO between November 1 2021 and March 31 2022.

He would have earned the permanent CEO’s entire yearly salary if he had stayed in the temporary role for around four more weeks.

He was subsequently appointed as ADC’s permanent chief executive with a yearly salary of £125,000.

Rate lowered after public outrage

The interim CEO was originally going to be paid £1,300 a day, which would have cost the council £1,543 per day due to agency fees.

But the figure was lowered to £1,341 a day, including agency fees.

This followed negotiations between council leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) and Mr Hassett which resulted in him accepting the lower rate.

Mr Gunner explained that this was due to ‘large public concern’ over the interim salary.

This decision eventually saved the council £25,000.

The day rate was criticised by several councillors and members of the public, some of whom said it was ‘obscene’.

Lib Dem Amanda Worne (Yapton) was the only councillor to vote against appointing an interim CEO – instead suggesting that existing Arun staff take up the reins.

“I could not support this decision because I felt it was absolutely shocking and wrong that this person who was going to be working for us on a temporary basis would be paid £6,000 a week,” she said.

“£6,000 is a massive sum of money and many residents in Arun don’t even earn this amount in a year.

“I felt it totally unfair on the people of Arun who [would] be paying in some way or other for this decision.

“We have some of the most deprived areas in the country in our district and to pay someone to come and do a job for this sort of money just for six months is frankly obscene.”

CEO has important duties

But those in favour of the rate explained that the CEO has important legal duties and argued that the salary is therefore proportionate to the role.

In a social media post, Alison Cooper (Con, Rustington East) said the CEO’s yearly salary was ‘the going rate agreed by experts’.

“It’s worth considering that a clerk of a parish council can earn up to £77,000 per year – which is in a totally different league as the statutory responsibilities are minuscule in comparison,” she said.

“[It is] also worth noting there is a massive shortage of clerks in West Sussex and lots of vacancies.

“For all those that aspire to earn these salaries – get qualified and apply.”

Chosen candidate has ‘strong track record’

ADC confirmed that three people were interviewed for the role of permanent chief executive.

According to the council, Mr Hassett was chosen due to his ‘strong track record in local government’.

He was formerly the CEO at Somerset West and Taunton Council and previously worked for Havant Borough Council, East Hampshire District Council, and others.

Recruitment for a CEO cost the council £30,000 which was made up of a recruitment fee, advertising, psychometric profiling, external technical support, and VAT.

The council did agree to offer £8,000 to the right candidate if they needed to relocate for the role but Mr Hassett did not accept this.