£104,000 salary Adur and Worthing councils chief could get £21,000 pay rise

Mr Bailey, appointed in April 2013, was promised a salary review when he took up the role.

His current spot salary of £104,283 ranks at the lower end of the scale for shared councils, according to research in an official report.

But if the joint senior staff committee recommends the rise next week, it would lead to an overspend in this year’s salary budget.

The report reads: “The report describes how the role has expanded over the last two years to meet the ambitions of the councils in driving economic growth, activating communities and improving customer experience.

“Our chief executive receives a spot salary of £104,283 which is markedly below even the lower quartile for shared chief executives. In fact, at £104k, the chief executive is paid well below most single district chief executives (the lower quartile is £103k).”

Among Mr Bailey’s key tasks has been to lead the councils’ key strategic direction, termed ‘Catching the Wave’.

An ongoing digital overhaul, along with a major restructuring of the senior leadership structure, have been key parts.

A performance review in April saw council leaders Neil Parkin and Dan Humphreys state they were ‘very impressed’ with his overall performance.

He took the role amid the NCP legal dispute saga, which saw the council reach an out of court settlement – believed to have cost around £800,000, including legal fees.

Former executive head of technical services Cliff Harrison was sacked for gross misconduct but successfully claimed unfair dismissal at a tribunal.

The committee will meet on Thursday, September 17, with their recommendations requiring approval by both full councils.