Scotland council rich list: The top 10 highest paid local authority employees - including the UK's biggest bonus

Dozens of council employees in Scotland were paid in excess of £100,000

The Taxpayers’ Alliance has released its “town hall rich list” for 2024, which shows dozens of local authority employees in Scotland were paid in excess of £100,000.

Marshall Dallas, chief executive of Edinburgh City Council-owned EICC, received the highest pay in Scotland linked to a local authority based on the list, raking in £239,991.

This includes a bonus of £72,280, the biggest bonus given to any UK employee of a council or their arms-length companies.

Andrew Kerr is to leave his role as Edinburgh City Council chief executive later this year. He ranks inside the top ten of the highest paid local authority executives in Scotland. Picture: Ian Georgeson

However, The Scotsman has chosen not to include anyone employed through an arms-length company on the below rich list.

The Scotsman’s takes a look at the rich list’s Scottish top ten.

1. Annemarie O’Donnell - £197,522

Annemarie O’Donnell is the chief executive of Glasgow City Council.

Marshall Dallas, chief executive of the Edinburgh City Council-owned EICC, received the highest bonus of any council employee in the UK, and was the second-highest paid in Scotland. Image: Jane Barlow/Press Association.

2. Richard Carr - £191,520

Richard Carr is the interim director of corporate services at Edinburgh City Council. Edinburgh City Council says Mr Carr no longer works for the council and this full amount didn’t all go to him as it included contract fees of £24,230.

3. Andrew Kerr - £189,834

Andrew Kerr is chief executive of Edinburgh City Council. He is planning to retire in June.

4. Cleland Sneddon - £187,395

Cleland Sneddon is the former chief executive of South Lanarkshire Council. He retired in January.

5. Desmond Murray - £183,634

Desmond Murray is the chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council.

Scottish politics is never dull - The Steamie newsletter will give you the best analysis

6. Steve Grimmond - £172,681

Steve Grimmond is chief executive of Fife Council.

7. Amanda Hatton - £171,237

Amanda Hatton is director of children and education at Edinburgh City Council. On top of this, she claimed £614 in expenses.

8. Paul Lawrence – £170,149

Paul Lawrence is director of place at Edinburgh City Council. On top of this, he claimed £412 in expenses.

9. Angela Scott – £169,499

Angela Scott is chief executive of Aberdeen City Council.

10. Jim Savage – £164,213

Jim Savage is chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance list had included a number of employees working at the Edinburgh City Council-owned EICC, Glasgow City Council-owned Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and Edinburgh Trams. However, The Scotsman has not included anyone employed through an arms-length company on this rich list.

Glasgow City Council said SEC chief executive Peter Duthie and director of finance and development William McFadyen should not be included on the list as they were not paid from public funds.

A spokesman said: “The salaries of Scotland’s local authority chief executives are not set by individual councils, but at a national level, taking into account the size of each authority.

"As such, the salary set for Glasgow reflects the fact it is, by some distance, the largest authority in the country. Like every other council in the country, we routinely and pro-actively publish this kind of salary information, which goes before scrutiny committees and is available to the public online.”

Mr Duthie had received £235,321, made up of a £196,101 salary and a £39,220 bonus. He also claimed £22,733 in expenses. Mr McFadyen received £173,576, made up of a £144,467 salary and a £28,929 bonus. He also claimed £18,495 in expenses.

A spokesman for the EICC said the body operated self-sufficiently and therefore did not use public funds.

They said: “The EICC board sets the remuneration policy and therefore agrees the staff salaries and bonuses, which are paid by EICC Ltd, not from public funds.”

Mr Dallas, the EICC chief executive, received £239,991, made up of a £158,711 salary and a bonus of £72,280.

Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said: “[Marshall Dallas’s] pay awards are decided by the board of EICC, not the council. However, I have repeatedly made clear that I do not agree with bonuses like this in publicly-owned arms-length companies.

"As a council we have debated this issue and I strongly urge restraint amongst these companies with regard to bonuses. We will be looking to address this issue in upcoming discussions on the relationship between the council and arms’ length companies.”

Cllr Day said other rates of pay were determined by a “wholly objective job evaluation scheme” that “reflects the level of responsibility for the roles concerned”.