Powys County Council is defending a significant rise in salaries for senior staff, attributing it to a recent pay increase.

The amount of staff on the council’s books earning more than £70,000 has more than doubled within two years.

According the council’s 2023-24 draft statement of accounts, 73 members of staff earned £70,000 and above.

This is up from 35 employees the previous year.

The figures are divided into two categories - “School Staff” and “Other Staff”.

The number of “Other Staff” employees on £70,000 to £74,999 has also more than quadrupled - rising from 4 in 2022/23 to 17 in 2023/24. 

The total number of “Other Staff” paid in excess of £60,000 per year in 2022/23 was 42, rising to 73 in 2023/24. 

James Evans, Conservative MS for Brecon and Radnorshire, has called on the Liberal Democrat/Labour run council to justify why the number of senior officers on £70,000 and above has surged.

Mr Evans said the figures “expose the truth of what is going on in Powys County Council.”

But the council has said there has not been an increase of senior posts - and it is down to officers moving into higher pay bands.

Mr Evans said: “To jump from 42 positions up to 73 is staggering at a time when we are told there is no money and council tax is rising after the Lib Dems promised not to.

“It’s quite telling that the Lib Dem council can somehow find the money to fund management yet can’t find it to fund our vital public services that so many people across Mid Wales desperately rely on. Council taxpayers are being squeezed for more and more money in return for less and less services.

“The Lib Dem council are anticipating that council tax will rise in April by another five per cent. They must explain these figures and justify to every resident in Powys that pays council tax just why all these management posts are needed.”

A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “As part of the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC), the 2023/24 local government pay award saw senior managers pay increase by 3.88 per cent.

“There has not been an increase of senior posts, rather the pay increase has resulted in an increase of senior officer pay moving into a higher band in the reported salary (remuneration) bands.”

“The council regularly reviews its senior officer structure to ensure that it provides value for money while overseeing the delivery of council services to our residents,” they added.