LOCAL council taxpayers are not allowed to know how much they are paying the chief executive of their local authority.

A pay increase for Bryn Parry-Jones was granted behind closed doors on Thursday and the county council has refused to reveal the amount as rumours continue to circulate.

The leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor John Davies, said: "The salaries of all our employees are set in private and this is a practice common to all local authorities.

"It has never been the practice of Pembrokeshire County Council to set salaries in public session during a meeting."

He went on to say that the salary and benefits package of the highest earners within local authorities are disclosed annually to the public via the council's Statement of Accounts.

However, last year's statement released in June gave limited information, revealing only that the highest earner, who was unnamed, earned a package of benefits worth somewhere between £130,000 and £139,999 in 2004/2005.

In 2003/2004 the highest earner, again unnamed, received somewhere between £110,000 and £119,999, a minimum salary increase of more than £10,000.

Cllr Davies said that in order to ensure that the county council is keeping pace with changes in market movements it has acted on the advice of remuneration consultants in relation to the chief executive's salary.

"The salary of Pembrokeshire County Council's chief executive is set at a level similar to those of chief executives of other comparable public sector organisations in the UK.

"Finally, I would add that Pembrokeshire County Council has a strong track record in terms of its performance combined with the lowest council tax in the principality. This is a reputation we are determined to keep," Cllr Davies added.