Wages of lowest paid Doncaster Council staff closer to CEO’s £183,000 salary than last year

During the full council meeting to approve the budget for the next financial year, the annual Pay Policy Statement revealed the salary ratio between the highest and lowest earners is coming down.

It said: “The ratio between the highest employee salary chief executive (£183,756) and lowest employee salary (£23,656) has reduced from 8.02:1 to 7.77:1.”

This means for every £1 currently paid to the lowest paid employee at the council, the chief executive is earning £7.77.

Publication of authority Pay Policy Statements is intended to aid transparency and enable local people to understand council pay provisions.

“The Hutton Review considered that the pay multiples (ratios) should be no greater than 20:1 and the Council falls well below this threshold,” the report added.

In the Pay Policy Statement, the City of Doncaster Council revealed the average salary has increased by £1,485 and now sits at £34,298.

Members of the council noted and approved the Pay Policy Statement.

Earlier on in the meeting, councillors voted through each aspect of Mayor Ros Jones’ budget proposals.

As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillors approved a 3.99 per cent increase to council tax with 31 votes for yes and eight for no.

£502million for capital spending over the next four years was also approved, which included £214m in 2025/26.

This plan included £24.5m for the Station Gateway development; £5.2m for the Waterfront East development; £19.5m for the Stainforth Towns Funds; and £13m for CRSTS Mexborough.

£237m of capital spending was approved for ‘Strategic Housing, Property & Safer Communities’ including council housing building, acquisitions and maintenance.

The revenue plan set a budget for adult social care at £170.8m for 2025/26, with children’s social care at £85.9m.

Speaking to the council chamber, Mayor Jones said: “Doncaster will continue to have the lowest council tax in South Yorkshire, the lowest council tax in Yorkshire and one of the lowest overall in comparison to other councils of similar size in the country.

“Doncaster is an incredibly well managed council, which is why we are still able to deliver the services we do, for one of the lowest council tax rates in the country.”