Will the taxpayer be re-imbursed? (From Warrington Guardian)

Will the taxpayer be re-imbursed?

11:54am Thursday 21st February 2013 in Letters

WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones’ rhetoric, backed by five Labour councillors, Graham Friend, Kevin Bennett, Chris Vobe, Steve Roberts and Billy Lines-Rowlands, on calling for Andy Farrell, executive director of environment and regeneration at the council, to resign, is laughable.

In 2009/10 Mr Farrell was awarded a nine per cent pay rise and in the same year former chief executive Diana Terris was given a £7,105 pay rise. These council chiefs have picked up thousands in pay rises in the middle of a multi-million pound cost-cutting drive and during 2013/14 up to 190 jobs will be cut from WBC as it tries to save £14 million.

Yet Labour has always sold us the idea that to recruit the best in the public sector you have to pay the going rate to attract the best. So what has happened here in the case of Mr Farrell?

So the accusers say the application to develop Peel Hall has been simply ‘overlooked’ by the department and as executive director Mr Farrell is paid a significant sum to oversee and run the council department and with his inflated salary comes responsibility.

In a nutshell am I right to think that the aforementioned councillors and MP are saying that Mr Farrell is not the right person for the job? Therefore should we be re-imbursed his nine per cent rise from 2009, plus his salary and other benefits?

TONY FOX
Stockton Heath