Council chief's �200,000 salary

Salaries for council chiefs range from �170,000 to more than �200,000

The chief executive of the unified Cornwall Council is to be paid an annual salary of �200,000, it has been announced.

Kevin Lavery, who will take up his post next month, will lead an organisation with a budget of more than �1bn.

The unitary authority will have a staff of more than 22,000, making it the biggest single employer in Cornwall and one of the largest in England.

The new Cornwall Council will take over on 1 April 2009.

It will amalgamate the county council and six existing district and borough councils, making a saving of about �500,000 by having one chief executive.

We should be paying the going rate for the job David Whalley, Cornwall Council

The council's implementation executive said a high-calibre chief executive was needed to lead such a large complex organisation.

"Members of the implementation executive agreed that we should be paying the going rate for the job," chairman David Whalley said.

The salary range for chief executives of comparable local authorities is believed to be from �170,000 to more than �200,000 a year.

According to the House of Commons, the prime minister receives a salary of �189,994.

In 1997, Mr Lavery became the youngest chief executive in England when he joined Newcastle City Council.

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