The chief executive officers of our county councils are some of the top earners among council workers in the south east. 

The "Town Hall Rich List", published by the TaxPayers' Alliance, revealed the salaries, bonuses and other financial benefits of council workers in the UK. 

The CEO of Surrey County Council earned a base salary of £230,719 between April 2016 and last year.

When combined with expenses and pension contributions, then CEO David McNulty earned a total renumeration of £269,154 over that period.

Hampshire County Council's top executive was paid £214,054.

A spokesman for Surrey County Council said: "Since this report was done we’ve appointed a new chief executive in Joanna Killian who is paid £220,000 per annum.

"This is less than the annual salary for the last chief executive and it should be noted that Joanna is taking a significant pay cut to return to the public sector from KPMG.

"This fact highlights the challenges local government has in attracting the best possible staff and the decision to set her salary in the middle of the band is a reflection of the enormous experience and expertise she will bring to the role from both the private and public sector."

The Chief Executive of the TaxPayer's Alliance, John O'Connell, said: "The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof.

"Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay."