Dear editor - The critical remarks of our AMs about the pay hike for Pembrokeshire County Council's chief executive may or may not be justified, but it depends on what local government minister Sue Essex means by a strong performance during the past year - period 2004/05.

Pembrokeshire County Council alone employs over 6,000 people and the total bureaucratic cost is a very heavy burden on the average citizen. We should be asking our elected representatives of this modern culture of administration really is cost effective and is the performance of executives and departmental directors comparable with those in the private sector. I was disappointed to read one of our other AM's Gwyn Davies trying to justify the increase of £28,000 in a civil servant's salary per annum and Sue Essex in the Welsh Assembly explaining in a matter of fact manner the large amount of tax payers' revenue £1.5 million allocated by central Government for this purpose. I shall be asking my county councillor how they are going to spend the remainder.

John Davis Bulford Road Johnson

Dear editor - Are there others who feel like me?

We qualify for European funding as one of the poorest parts of the UK and yet our chief executive is one of the highest paid. Does that make sense?

Mike Weaver Dunes Riding Centre Cott Lane Martletwy