Charles Sturt executives will not take pay rise next financial year
Charles Sturt Council has joined much of the private sector in freezing the pay of its executives in light of the coronavirus pandemic – the first South Australian council to tighten its belt.
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Executive wages will be frozen at a western suburbs council in an effort to tighten their belts during the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles Sturt Council is the first council to make the move after executive staff decided to not take any pay rise in the next financial year.
The move is in line a pay freeze for state MPs, public service executives and ministerial staffers.
Federal public servants have also had their pay frozen for six months.
Charles Sturt’s top-level staff made the call to halt any pay rise while the council was in the process of negotiating enterprise bargaining agreements with unions representing ordinary workers.
The move is expected to help cut costs and put pressure on the local government sector to soften the blow to ratepayers as council budgets take a coronavirus-induced hit.
Charles Sturt chief executive Paul Sutton is currently paid $284,005 per year.
A two per cent pay rise next financial year would have netted him an extra $5680.
Mr Sutton said taking a pay freeze was “the right thing to do”.
“As a team, we are working hard to ensure our community, both businesses and residents, stays viable and connected and that we continue to provide our services during COVID-19,” Mr Sutton said.
“We recognise the many people within our city who are currently doing it tough, and the leadership pay freeze is one way we could show that we care and that the community remains at the forefront of our decision making.
“It provides for either some funding that doesn’t need to be collected from our community or some additional funds that can be used to support businesses or residents.”
Local Government Association chief executive Matt Pinnegar praised the actions of Charles Sturt’s executives.
“Councils are working through their budget-setting processes in the face of reduced revenues and enacting hardship provisions,” Mr Pinnegar said.
“This is another example of a council demonstrating its commitment to supporting its community during tough times.”