Steve Beynon.
THE council’s chief executive turned down a £2,500 pay rise and then asked for a pay cut, the County Press has learned.
The news that Steve Beynon asked to be paid less than £150,000 despite being entitled to £157,500, was welcomed by Unison secretary Mark Chiverton, but he called for a review of the growing pay gap at County Hall.
Mr Beynon succeeded Joe Duckworth in summer 2008, having previously been the council’s director of children’s services.
Mr Duckworth’s was paid £165,000 a year at the time he left the council and became the highest paid chief executive in the country when he joined Newham Borough Council on £240,000.
When Mr Beynon took over it was agreed he would start on £155,000, with an annual pay rise of £2,500 up to £165,000.
After his first year in charge, in August, last year, his salary was due to leap to £157,500, but Mr Beynon declined the increase.
The decision only came to light after the County Press called for information about the number of staff earning more than £50,000 a year.
Mr Beynon said: "My salary should have gone up to £157,500 but I was not comfortable with that, with other workers being asked to accept a one per cent increase or the organisation saying it might be zero per cent.
"I took a voluntary pay cut that took it to just below £150,000. I didn’t think it was appropriate to announce it. One or two people knew about it but I was not looking for praise."
Mr Chiverton said: "The gap in pay between the top of local government and the rest of the staff is ever increasing. The decision by the chief executive to forego part of his salary is to be welcomed, but I believe our members will not see this as a proper solution to the pay gap problem."
Reporter: ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk