THE number of Scottish Borders Council staff earning more than £50,000 a year has risen by 13 per cent from 96 to 109.

Most of the employees in that pay bracket are teachers – 67 compared to 61 in 2013/14 – followed by “chief officers” (up from 25 to 26) and “other staff” (up from 10 to 16).

The figures are revealed in SBC’s unaudited accounts for 2014/15.

The highest earner in the year ending March 31 was chief executive Tracey Logan whose total remuneration went up from £118,893 in 2013/14 to £128,617 – the hike largely attributable to the £7,800 she received as Returning Officer at three elections in 2014.

(Continued on page three) (Continued from page one) In his role as Depute Returning Officer, Rob Dickson, SBC’s corporate programmes and services director, saw his total pay rise from £102,228 to £106,575.

The accounts note that the council spent £626,136 on 40 exit packages, including 21 compulsory redundancies, over the year.

The 111-page document also gives details of the leaving costs of three senior officers who departed the council in April last year following a restructuring of SBC’s corporate managing team.

Glen Rodger (director of education) received £82,569 in “compensation for loss of employment” along with a pension lump sum of £119,798 and an annual pension of £48,999.

Henry Thomson (head of transformation projects) was compensated to the tune of £60,843 and took a pension lump sum of £98,943. His annual pension is £39,062.

And Ian Wilkie (head of corporate governance) received a compensation payment of £61,892, along with a pension lump sum of £84,484 and an annual pension of £34,242.

In an upbeat foreword to the accounts, SBC leader Councillor David Parker states: “Against a very difficult financial background, the council has achieved a great deal during 2014/15 and I am proud, along with all our elected members and officers, to have achieved 80 per cent of efficiency savings; delivered £257.7 million of revenue spending within the revised budget; increased General Fund reserves by £1.9 million; delivered capital investment of £31.4 million in schools, flood protection, roads lighting and other assets; established Bridge Homes LLP to deliver our affordable housing agenda; and launched SBCares LLP to support delivery of front line care in adult services.” A concluding statement signed off by Mr Parker, Ms Logan and chief financial officer David Robertson, avers: “The operating environment for the council continues to be very challenging with financial and economic influences such as welfare reform, increasing demands on services, low interest rates and cost pressures from pay and price inflation all affecting the council’s finances.

“The council, despite these challenges, remains financially sound and well placed to serve the people of the Scottish Borders in future.” The accounts are published two months after the release of Scottish Government statistics which revealed that 4,000 Borders adults aged 16 to 64 have two or more jobs – up from 2,800 in 2012.