Another Secret Deal.

Pay freezes for some but chief executive's pay to rise by £8,000 a year

A council chief executive's pay could rise by £8,000 a year after the Labour-run council approved a deal behind closed doors.

The new pay scale runs up to £125,000 a year for Wrexham Council's chief executive - an increase from the £117,000 maximum pay increment she can currently earn.

Plaid Cymru's Assembly Member Llyr Gruffydd, who campaigned for the figure to be released, said the increase was difficult to accept when other council staff faced year-on-year pay freezes. Mr Gruffydd, the Party of Wales AM for North Wales, said: "When I asked for details of this new pay scale, the council refused and Labour leader Neil Rogers accused me of being mischievous. He also stated 'No senior officers’ pay at this authority has been increased'.

 "It's clear now why the council was so keen to debate this behind closed doors. Labour and their Tory/Democratic Independent Group allies approved the £8,000 increase in pay increments. The council leader's comments about pay increases were misleading to say the least. With the bulk of council workers facing pay freezes, it's one rule for the top few earners and another for the rest."

Councillor David Bithell, Leader of Wrexham Independent Group who put an amendment to council not to accept the pay award, said: "We did not support any increases to senior officers' pay, especially when Wrexham council's workforce  have had a pay freeze for the last three years. It's not right and morally wrong. People in senior positions should set example to the rest of the workforce and refuse this rise."