Fourteen members of council staff across Mendip and Somerset received annual renumeration of more than £100,000, according to a new report.

And two members of staff earned even more than the Prime Minister Boris Johnson's £161,401 salary.

Published annually by the Taxpayers Alliance, the Town Hall Rich List details the top earners in councils across the country. The latest list reveals the salaries and pension contributions for 2020/21.

The average number of employees who received over £100,000 in total remuneration per local authority is seven. The average number receiving over £150,000 is 1.7 employees per council. At Somerset County Council there are 10 members of staff receiving more than £100,000, and three receiving more than £150,000.

Topping the list is Somerset County Council's Head of Paid Service, Patrick Flaherty, who cost the taxpayer £197,100, with a salary of £166,900 and pension contributions of £30,200.

Somerset's Programme Director, Carlton Brand, has a higher salary ­– £178,300 – but his pension was much less, at £4,300.

Who is on the Rich List?

SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL

·     Director and lead commissioner ­– £154,100 (Salary £130,500; Pension £23,600)

·     Director of children's services ­– £153,700 (Salary £130,100; Pension £23,600)

·     Lead commissioner adults and health – £153,100 (Salary £129,600; Pension £23,500)

·     Director of public health – £144,100 (Salary £126,000; Pension £18,100)

·     Director of finance – £140,500 (Salary £119,000; Pension £21,500)

·     Undisclosed – £132,000 (Salary £132,000; Pension n/a)

·     Director of corporate affairs – £125,000 (Salary £105,800; Pension £19,200) ­

·     Undisclosed ­– £112,500 (Salary £112,500; Pension n/a)

·     Director of HR and organisational development – £111,700 (Salary £94,600; Pension £17,100)

·     Undisclosed – £107,500 (Salary £107,500; Pension n/a)

 MENDIP DISTRICT COUNCIL

·     Chief executive – £133,689 (Salary £113,972; Pension £19,717)

·     Deputy chief executive – £100,725 (Salary £85,963; Pension £14,762)

 The number of local authority employees across the country receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration has risen to the highest level since 2013-14. At the same time,

For the average (band D) property, taxpayers in England will have to pay a council tax rise of 3.5 per cent, or an extra £68 per year in 2022-23. 

According to a spokesman from Somerset County Council, the reason that Somerset County Council has a higher-than-average number of top earners is that "a county council is much bigger than the average council and run a different range and size of services than the average council." They declined to comment on why a number of the roles are "undisclosed."

Mendip District Council declined to comment.