TaxPayers Alliance reveals Bolton ‘Town Hall Rich List’

The rich list was published the TaxPayers Alliance, which has tracked how many local government employees across the country are paid more than £100,000 every year since 2007.

In Bolton’s case the campaign group found that chief executive Sue Johnson was the highest paid employee with a total pay of £232,698, including pension contributions, for 2024-25.

TaxPayers Alliance chief executive John O’Connell said: “Taxpayers are caught in a pincer movement with a record-breaking tax burden on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other.

“Our latest Town Hall Rich List exposes a surging class of council bosses enjoying six-figure packages, even as they plead poverty, slash frontline services, and hike council tax bills far beyond inflation.

Bolton Town Hall (Image: Phil Taylor)

“Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they’re getting value for money.”

The TaxPayers Alliance describes itself as a grassroots campaign for lower taxes, government transparency and an end to wasteful government spending.

But the group has also faced criticism over its lack of transparency about funding and donors

The group’s campaigns manager Susie Squire left to become head of press for David Cameron in 2012 which founder, Matthew Elliot went on to found Conservative Friends of Russia in 2012.

The group’s findings also showed that six figure pay was awarded to director of corporate resources Lee Fallows with £164,710 including pension contributions.

Though Ms Johnson was the highest paid employee at Bolton Council, she did not feature amongst the top 20 highest paid local government employees in the country over that period.

Other high earners included director of place Jon Dyson with £158,189 including pension contributions.

Director of adults, communities and integration Rachel Tanner was paid £150, 689 including pension contributions.

But Bolton did not feature in the TaxPayers Alliance’s top 10 councils with the largest rise in employees receiving more than £100,000 from 2005-6 to 2024-25.

The borough also did not feature in the top ten of council for the highest number of employees paid more than £100,000 over 2024-25.