COUNTY chiefs have denied suggestions that a chief executive of a single unitary for Suffolk would have to take a massive pay cut.Sources within Suffolk County Council had reported the authority will earmark an annual salary of £188,000 for the head of a either a single Suffolk or rural Suffolk council.

COUNTY chiefs have denied suggestions that a chief executive of a single unitary for Suffolk would have to take a massive pay cut.

Sources within Suffolk County Council had reported the authority will earmark an annual salary of £188,000 for the head of a either a single Suffolk or rural Suffolk council.

Such a figure would likely throw into doubt the future of the county council's current £220,000 chief executive Andrea Hill whose massive pay packet sparked controversy when she joined earlier this year.

The council say the claims made relating to pay are wide of the mark, but has declined to reveal documents relating to the issue until they have been submitted to the Boundary Committee on September 19.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: “The salary for a chief executive for a single unitary or for two new authorities will be a matter for the new councils to decide.

“For the purposes of this exercise, the salaries used in the calculation of potential senior management savings were based on 2007/8 salary scales.

“However, the actual figure likely to be paid to the new chief executive or executives is more likely to reflect current levels than those paid in the past.

“If after reorganisation there is One Suffolk, we expect the chief executive's salary will be in line with the current salary.

“If there are two unitary authorities, the North Haven Chief Executive might be paid more than the Rural Chief Executive.

“Obviously, two chief executive's salaries will come to much more than one."

The spokesman said the county council's financial case for each scenario will be published once the Boundary Committee places the documents on its website later this month following submission.

The Boundary Committee will submit its final report on the future shape of Suffolk to the Electoral Commission by the end of December which will pass its recommendation on to the Government.

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