The chief executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, along with his senior leadership team, will receive a backdated pay increase following approval by councillors. The raise aligns with a nationally agreed one-year pay increase of 3.2 per cent, set by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services in accordance with Treasury ‘Green Book’ guidelines.
This pay award, agreed on July 23 and backdated to April 1, 2025, is below the current inflation rate and marks the first pay adjustment until at least March 31, 2026. Although Somerset Council initially budgeted for a 2 per cent increase in February—amounting to £83,600—the additional cost of the 3.2 per cent rise totals £121,400, with the extra £37,800 drawn from council reserves.
As of April 1, 2024, Mr. Sharkey earned £206,870 annually; the new salary will be approximately £213,500. Executive directors, previously earning between £132,225 and £153,750, will see raises pushing the top salary to around £158,670. Senior directors' pay bands of £102,500 to £120,950 will rise to just over £124,000 for the highest earners.
READ MORE: Cotswolds Village Faces Overtourism Crisis Fueled by TikTok Visitors
READ MORE: Council Employs AI to Analyze Public Feedback on Bath Stadium Proposal
Since Somerset Council has opted out of national pay negotiations for chief executives, these salary increases were formally approved at an extraordinary meeting of the human resources committee in Taunton on September 9.
Michelle Anderson, the council’s employer relations manager, clarified to the committee, “The pay award is in relation to a cost of living payment – we don’t operate a performance-related pay award.”
Councillor Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for adults’ services, housing, and homelessness, described the convening of a special meeting as “excessive” given the modest nature of the increase. She noted, “It’s not a huge award, quite frankly. It might be different if they were saying everybody had to have a ten per cent increase, and we thought that was too much.”
The committee’s unanimous approval of the pay rise took less than 15 minutes, underscoring the routine nature of the adjustment within current budgetary frameworks.