Incoming Bristol City Council Chief Executive’s Salary Set at £192,000

A council meeting has confirmed that the forthcoming chief executive of a city council will receive an annual salary of £192,000. Nick Hibberd is scheduled to assume this annual salary from Bristol City Council upon succeeding interim chief executive Paul Martin on January 6. The disclosure of his salary occurred at a council meeting held on Tuesday, following Councillor Kelvin Blake’s successful challenge against the initial decision to keep the figures private. Council leader Tony Dyer stated that Bristol offers “the lowest salary paid to its chief executive among core cities.” He informed councillors that he obtained authorization to disclose the salary after an initial refusal, which was based on personal data considerations. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Hibberd possesses over 25 years of experience in senior local government roles, having most recently served on the corporate management team for the London Borough of Croydon. Dyer explained that the position’s grading was conducted independently, utilizing an approved methodology and benchmarking it against comparable roles in other organizations. He further mentioned that Hibberd’s salary is slated to increase annually, consistent with national Joint Negotiating Committee pay awards designated for senior council officers. Dyer commented, “I agree it’s vitally important that we are very careful with how we spend public money.” He added, “It’s also important that we respect individual privacy.” In August, Dyer had cautioned that the council faced a risk of bankruptcy due to a projected £22 million overspend. Hibberd has been contacted for a statement regarding his salary.