HEREFORDSHIRE Council’s top boss earns £78.20 an hour according to the latest figures.

Chief executive Alistair Neill is paid an annual salary of 150,873 the council’s pay policy statement for 2020 suggests.

Other top directors at Plough Lane earn £124,860 and £101,969 a year, while the lowest paid workers at the local authority earn an annual salary of 17,364 — this equates to £9 an hour.

The salary ration between the council’s lowest paid staff and the chief executive salary is 1:8.68.

The council’s employment panel approved the policy for 2020 which remains the same as that of the last financial year.

The council does not apply any bonuses or performance related incentives to any to its employees and its pension enhancements are made in line with the council’s Local Government Pension Scheme discretions policy.

Speaking at the employment panel on Monday, councillor Liz Harvey said: "I notice that we are recognising the salary ration between the lowest paid staff and the chief executive is one to roughly 8.7.

"How does this compare to other local authorities? Is that the lowest spinal point on the lowest pay scale?"

Assistant director for people Tracey Sampson said she believed it compared favourably and has been declining for the council in comparison with their neighbours.

"And yes, it is based on the lowest point at which we have employee pay," she added.

Ms Sampson said she would get information to benchmark the authority against neighbouring councils for the council.

Coun Harvey said: "It is a subject of public interest where we are on that particularly in comparison to other local authorities."

Full council will consider the pay policy in February.