Caerphilly County Borough Council’s long-running row over unlawful pay rises to senior bosses will cost a further £263,000.
At a meeting on March 7, councillors approved the funding to cover potential legal costs and the salaries of three top officials on paid leave until the end of June.
So far, the local authority has spent £2.5 million on these costs.
A recent request under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the total cost of the row, taking into account the secret pay rises given to around 20 senior officers, was a further £2m.
Caerphilly County Borough Council maintains the cost of the increased salaries should not be included in an overall figure.
Council chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan, his deputy Nigel Barnett and head of legal Daniel Perkins were all suspended on full pay in 2013 in the wake of a report from the Wales Audit Office into the secret pay rises.
The WAO found the decision to award the pay rises was unlawful because Mr O’Sullivan had himself written a report recommending the pay rises and that he was present at a secret meeting that agreed them.
The meeting itself, attended by five councillors, was also unlawfully held because it was not publicised beforehand.
Mr O’Sullivan saw his salary increased from £132,000 to £158,000, although after details of the increase were leaked to the media, the rise was reduced to £5,000.
The WAO report prompted a police investigation and Mr O’Sullivan, Mr Perkins and Mr Barnett were arrested and charged with misconduct in a public office. All charges were later dropped over a lack of evidence, but the three remain on special paid leave while disciplinary proceedings are carried out.
So far, more than £1.7m has gone towards paying the three officers on leave and another £752,000 has been spent on legal costs.
The council’s Plaid Cymru group accused the controlling Labour group of presiding over a “fiasco.”
Plaid group leader Colin Mann said the extra money was the latest instalment of a bill which had now reached the equivalent of “£26 per head for every man, woman and child in the county borough.”
Cllr Dave Poole, deputy council leader, said: “Everyone at Caerphilly Council – councillors and staff – is extremely frustrated about the delay in resolving the senior officers’ pay issue.
“But we must be clear that none of the costs incurred are due to delays caused by our Labour-led Caerphilly Council.
“And while political debate is healthy, it’s disgraceful that Plaid Cymru are trying to score cheap political points by blaming Labour for our council’s commitment to abiding by the law of the land.”
Cllr Dave Poole, please do not insult the intelligence of Caerphilly residents who will ultimately be paying for this utterly disgraceful fiasco which Labour led Caerphilly Council has presided over, grow a pair and sack them, hopefully come May this whole sorry affair will see Labour booted out.
Well stated……………
“Councils commitment to abiding by the law of the land ” it’s a pity they didn’t adopt that approach in the first place – then this fiasco wouldn’t have happened.
Although the criminal case failed at court – we must remember the Wales Audit Office found the Authority guilty of not complying with regulations.
Sack them if this was a normal person in a normal job would have been sacked
within a week it’s always been different for white collar workers in high position 3yrs on special leave wow down to the public pocket. Why? All this is down to Caerphilly council law to themselves.
It’s free money.
£263,000 that Caerphilly tax payer will have to fund. labour are corrupt and the borough needs a change. Labour need to be held responsible for this fiasco. Thy must also brought to task if they blame the new party that will hopefully come into power. When will residents of Caerphilly realise there is other parties other than labour