Your County Council: Their Salaries

The highest earner in the local authority is the new Chief Executive Paul Blantern, at £161,289.

That's actually a saving on his predecessor, Katherine Kerswell, whose salary was the first to be made public.

The council's now decided to publish the wage bill for all of its senior management team, saying there is no obligation on them to do this and is doing so to "demonstrate openness and transparency."

The top five earners - people responsible for things like schools and social services - take home two thirds of a million pounds between them, averaging out at around £130,000.

There are also 26 so-called 'Heads of Service' who look after departments like IT and Communications.  That wage bill works out at £2.1 million.

You can read the full details here

The county council say they have a talented and dedicated group of professionals managing services such education and schools; the roads and environment; social services for adults and children; libraries, fire and rescue

The Heads of Service collectively oversee a council budget totalling some £1 billion. In turn these managers are responsible for teams of people, sometimes over 1000 people at a time and their salaries equate to less than 0.25% of the council’s total spending.