Every council CEO’s salary listed: Adelaide City Council’s Clare Mockler takes home the biggest salary
Senior SA council execs are raking in huge salaries. So which CEO is taking home the biggest pay packet? The answer might surprise you.
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Council rate hikes that have hit householders will partly go towards a massive bill for fat cats, with Adelaide metro council CEOs taking home $5.8 million this year.
Council salary registers, which must be made public by law, this year show the 20 Adelaide council CEOs will be paid between $245,785 and $363,636.
Adelaide City Council CEO Clare Mockler will take home the biggest salary, and Gawler CEO Henry Inat the smallest.
Another 50 executives are employed on more than $200,000 each year, to help out the CEOs.
Together they cost ratepayers an eye-watering bill which goes well over $10 million.
Hundreds of thousands more go into superannuation payments and perks such as ratepayer-funded cars.
The Advertiser revealed this week councils aim to take $130 million more in rates in 2023/24 than the previous year.
In comparison, Premier Peter Malinauskas earns $450,000 each year and Opposition Leader David Speirs $350,000.
Australian Services Union assistant secretary Scott Cowan said the huge salaries did not pass the pub test.
“Council CEO wages are too high but by comparison, the pay for everyday council workers is going backwards against inflation, with rising housing and energy costs making it harder and harder to make ends meet,” he said.
“Council CEO wages simply don’t pass the pub test, often being five or six times the wage of a frontline Council worker and that needs to change.”
Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith defended the role and the complexities involved.
“Our CEO, Clare Mockler leads an organisation with more than 770 full time staff and assets valued in excess of $2 billion,” she said.
“It’s an extraordinarily challenging role leading a politicised organisation to ensure it continues to deliver for our community.
“Every day more than 315,000 people visit the City of Adelaide, which has approximately 130,000 city workers, over 26,000 residents and close to 15,000 local business.
“The CEO’s salary package was independently assessed, based on external advice, and benchmarked against market conditions.”
The LGA defended the work of all council CEO and spokesman said: “Chief Executive Officers in councils oversee delivery of essential community services, manage multimillion-dollar budgets, and are responsible for billions of dollars in public infrastructure”.
“Attracting and retaining the right skills and experience for these roles is essential, and councils must be competitive with other levels of government.”
“The independent Remuneration Tribunal of SA has set allowances for council members for many years and now, salaries for CEOs will also be set by this independent tribunal.”
ADELAIDE METRO COUNCIL’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE SALARIES
City of Adelaide
Clare Mockler $363,636
Others over $200,000: 6
Adelaide Hills Council
David Waters (acting) $234,916
Others over $200,000: 1
City of Burnside
Chris Cowley $251,142
Others over $200,000: 3
Campbelltown City Council
Paul Di lulio $287,658
Others over $200,000: 3
City of Charles Sturt
Paul Sutton $308,841
Others over $200,000: 3
Town of Gawler
Henry Inat $245,785
Others over $200,000: None
City of Holdfast Bay
Roberto Bria $272,103
Others over $200,000: 1
City of Marion
Tony Harrisson $277,000
Others over $200,000: 4
City of Mitcham
Matt Pears $286,015
Others over $200,000: 4
Mount Barker District Council
Andrew Stuart $280,268
Others over $200,000: 1
City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters
Mario Barone $265,000
Others over $200,000: None
City of Onkaparinga
Julia Grant $304,500
Others over $200,000: 5
City of Playford
Sam Green $313,035
Others over $200,000: 2
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
Mark Withers $320,359
Others over $200,000: 3
City of Prospect
Chris White $269,774
Others over $200,000: None
City of Salisbury
John Harry $326,266
Others over $200,000: 4
City of Tea Tree Gully
Ryan McMahon $308,841
Others over $200,000: 3
City of Unley
Peter Tsokas $292,208
Others over $200,000: 3
Town of Walkerville
Scott Reardon $252,927
Others over $200,000: None
City of West Torrens
Terry Buss $339,956
Others over $200,000: 3
Source: Council salary registers.
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