Outgoing Cheshire West and Chester Council chief executive Steve Robinson will be entitled to claim more than £21,000 for running the Police and Crime Commissioner elections and EU referendum in the borough.
Mr Robinson, who earns £180,000, will leave his role at the end of the month after leading the organisation from its beginnings in 2008.
But he can't fail to be pleased with a little bonus before he goes as the council has just revealed that in line with national regulations Mr Robinson will receive a total fee of £9,541 gross as a returning officer in the May 5 elections.
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The chief executive is only taking a fee for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections and has waived his fee when acting as returning officer for town and parish council by-elections and neighbourhood plan referenda which took place on the same day.
And Mr Robinson is also entitled to receive £12,114 for acting as counting officer for Cheshire West in the EU referendum on June 23. However, he will not necessarily receive the full amount as the fee for any deputies will also come out of this allocation.
Vanessa Whiting, director of governance for CWaC, said: “Returning officers across the UK are entitled to a fee paid by government to stage elections. These fees are set nationally by the Electoral Commission.
“Although he is entitled to do so, Steve Robinson has chosen not to take a fee when acting as returning officer for town and parish council by-elections or for neighbourhood plan referendums.”
Related story: CWaC boss Steve Robinson received £30,000 for running May 7 elections
David Parr, chief executive of Halton Borough Council, is responsible for co-ordinating the running of the EU Referendum for the whole Cheshire County area but Mr Robinson will act as counting officer for Cheshire West.
Ms Whiting added: “In terms of the EU referendum, counting officer David Parr personally requested that Steve extend his notice period with the council so that he may act as counting officer for the Cheshire West and Chester area, as he wanted an experienced officer to run what is a highly complicated referendum.”
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Regarding the decision to ask Steve Robinson to act as counting officer for the Cheshire County area, Mr Parr said: “Steve Robinson is an experienced and well respected returning officer. To ensure the effective and efficient conduct of the EU Referendum, I personally asked Steve if he would be prepared to remain in office until after the EU Referendum and I am pleased that he has agreed to do so.”
Mr Robinson received £30,000 in his role as returning officer at the general, borough and parish elections on May 7 last year.
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Coincidentally, Mr Robinson’s successor Gerald Meehan, currently strategic director of children’s services, will earn £30,000 less than Mr Robinson but will still have an enviable £150,000 annual salary. The Labour administration argues his task is less onerous compared with that of Mr Robinson who helped set up CWaC from scratch in 2008 before it became a fully fledged authority in 2009.
