FIFE COUNCIL'S high earners have been revealed with the chief executive receiving £185,116 last year.

Steve Grimmond took home a £148,720 salary, plus £36,396 in pension contributions during 2018/19.

A new study from the TaxPayers' Alliance, their 13th annual 'Town Hall Rich List', has shown that 2,667 council staff across Scotland received more than £100,000.

Mr Grimmond is joined on the list by Eileen Rowand, Fife Council's executive director for finance and corporate services.

Ms Rowand was paid a salary of £119,113, plus £29,183 into her pension, making her overall remuneration £148,296.

Carrie Lindsay, the council's executive director for education and children's services, was also paid a £119,113 salary. She received £29,153 in pension payments, bringing her income to £148,266.

Michael Enston, executive director for communities, was paid £118,685, plus £29,078 in pension, for an overall total of £147,763.

Keith Winter, executive director for enterprise and environment, received £116,558. Once £28,525 payment contributions are added, it's an overall pay of £145,083.

Heather Stuart, chief executive of Fife Cultural Trust, falls shy of the six-figure pay grade with a salary of £95,448. Her overall package was £116,924, after £21,476 of pension contributions were added.

The local authority with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2018-19 was Glasgow with 21.

Janice Hewitt was the highest-paid local council employee in the UK. The former chief officer of North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care received £615,550 as part of a restructuring deal after just four years in the job. It included a salary of £146,033, a loss of office payment of £119,401 and a one-off pension payment of £350,116.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance said accountability still mattered during the coronavirus crisis and taxpayers must know that they are getting value for money.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the Alliance, said: "The coronavirus crisis means that frontline council services are more crucial than ever but, at the same time, household budgets face an enormous squeeze from crushing council tax rises.

"There are plenty of talented people in local authorities who are focused on delivering more for less but that is needed across the board. The country needs every council to cut out waste and prioritise key services without resorting to punishing tax hikes on their residents.

“These figures should shine a light on the town hall bosses who’ve got it right but also allow taxpayers to hold to account those who aren’t delivering value for money at this critical time."

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper every week.

Trusted news has never been so important, and neither has your support.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you to help us provide you with trusted news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

We’re out each week even if you can’t be and so you can also have a replica e-edition of the Press on your PC, phone or tablet ready to read whenever you want. Just click the ‘E-Edition’ tab under the Press masthead on the homepage of this website.

Thank you,

Simon Harris, Editor