Dudley Council’s chief executive is poised to receive a salary increase that will elevate her pay above the £200,000 threshold. This proposed boost is part of a wider set of pay adjustments for senior council officers, scheduled for approval at the upcoming full council meeting on March 2.
Significant restructuring within the council’s leadership has led to the removal of the deputy chief executive position and the reclassification of director roles into four distinct pay bands. The highest tier, consisting of four group directors, will soon earn between £139,320 and £159,960 annually. Meanwhile, level four chief officers can expect salaries ranging from £92,995 to £104,484 when the new financial year begins on April 1.
On the other end of the spectrum, the council’s 5,211 full-time employees will receive a modest pay rise of 1.5%, below the current rate of inflation, bringing the lowest salaries to £24,796.
READ MORE: Morrisons Revolutionizes Online Shopping with Nutmeg Clothing Delivery
READ MORE: HMRC to Cap Pension Salary Sacrifice NI Relief at £2,000, Affecting 3.3 Million Savers
Balvinder Heran, the council’s chief executive, will see her salary increase by 3.1%, from £195,972 to £202,057. This pay rise acknowledges her role in steering vital council functions and overseeing service delivery improvements across the borough.
The council also frequently relies on interim staff to fill interim vacancies or to provide specialised expertise. Over the past year, spending on interim workers reached £534,836, which included payments for some who left their contracts prematurely.
Heran commented on the staffing challenges: “We remain committed to delivering high-quality services and driving long-term improvements for our borough and the communities we serve. While we prefer to recruit permanent staff, like many public and private sector organisations, we face strong competition for specialist, qualified professionals. This sometimes necessitates using temporary or specialist support to maintain continuity and protect essential services, with a focus on permanent recruitment as soon as feasible.”