Taxpayers stung by £150,000 fat-cat bill for new council quango boss

10.00.56am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Apr 2006

Sheffields Town Hall Labour bosses have approved the position

Sheffield City Councils new taxpayer funded quango is looking to employ a chief executive on an annual salary of £150,000 a year. Sheffield's Lib Dems are protesting at the huge taxpayers bill, they believe 'value for money has been thrown out the window' by the present Labour council.

Creative Sheffield will be setup using taxpayer's money. The board will comprise the highly paid chief executive along with many of the same people who sit on other quangos in Sheffield.

The news comes after the Labour council came under criticism for another controversial quango manager recently. The 'Inclusion and Cosmopolitan board' within Sheffield First spent £50,000 on employing a new manager, despite the fact they manage a budget less than half that amount at £20,000.

Liberal Democrats believe that investment to boost our economy is best sent on physically supporting business rather than employing more public fat-cat sector managers. They believe that the amount of money being used to setup the quango is a waste of taxpayers money.

Councillor Paul Scriven, Leader of the Sheffield Liberal Democrats, said: -

"Its clear that this Labour council have thrown value for money and common sense out the window. I don't believe that spending £150,000 a year to employ a chief executive for a new quango is where the priorities of the people of Sheffield lie"

"I am yet to be convinced that the new quango will deliver for Sheffield and our local economy. The best way to boost our local economy is to use money to support local businesses and attract new business. This quango is an unwelcome distraction which is taking away money we could be using for genuine business support and marketing"

"Labour have a track record of wasting huge amounts of public money for salaries in these quangos. Not long ago they appointed a £50,000 a year manager administering just a £20,000 in another council quango. Its time Labour started standing up to the faceless bureaucrats on behalf of the average taxpayer"