The top boss at Renfrewshire Council makes in excess of £150,000 a year, figures have revealed.

Alan Russell, who was appointed chief executive in November 2021, is the highest earner at the local authority.

He is paid £151,238 for a role which involves the development of corporate policy, particularly in the areas of social inclusion, equalities, best value and efficient government.

A Freedom of Information request has shown there are three positions at the council which have salaries of just over £123,000 a year.

Mary Crearie, director of communities and housing, Steven Quinn, director of children’s services, and Gordon McNeil, director of environment and infrastructure, all earn £123,341, while Alastair MacArthur, director of finance and resources, is on £120,327.

The wages of top officers have come under scrutiny from some elected members, including Councillor Eddie Devine, who questioned the need for lofty salaries in local government.

The veteran politician, who resigned from the Labour party in October, said: “I think they’re grossly overpaid but I think that’s because the market is so small.

“I don’t think they need to earn that kind of money, I really don’t. It’s not spread evenly. The people that we need to attract in councils are people who are lower down on the wage scale.”

Councillor Devine also cast doubt on the performance of councils in Scotland as he reflected on the “incredible” salaries of senior officers.

“We are all public servants because the public pay our money,” he said. “I just don’t think the people that are coming into these jobs now have that outlook. I just think they think it’s a business.

“I know we’ve got to run efficiently, I get that, but we’ve got to remember it’s all about the people we serve and I don’t think these days councils are serving the public as well as they should be.”

Councillor Kenny MacLaren said the local authority has to offer salaries which are competitive so they can entice staff into the roles.

He added: “Unfortunately, it’s the going rate and, to some extent, it’s what we have to pay to attract people in those posts.”

However, the SNP politician added that it was his hope a policy could be introduced which would see a proportionate rise between roles at the lower and higher ends of the scale.

Councillor MacLaren said. “I think there should something in place where these salaries can’t rise above a percentage of the lowest earners in the council.

“That would mean, if someone gets a big rise, it affects everybody and it’s not just those at the top getting more and more all the time.

“The gap between the highest paid and the lowest paid should be diminishing, not increasing.

“When we had the pandemic, people weren’t saying ‘quick, get me a director.' It was ‘can we get the bins emptied?’

“I think the pandemic shone a light on who was actually doing the most valuable work. Unfortunately, it’s not the best paid work.”

A council spokesperson said: “Value for taxpayer money is at the heart of everything we do.

“The salary scale for local authority chief executives is set nationally, while senior staff salaries are set by reference to national arrangements and this information is made publicly available every year in our published accounts.”