Mid & East Antrim chief on £151,725 as Town Hall Rich List reveals 59 six-figure council packages across NI

Ballymena Town Hall

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s interim chief executive was paid £151,725 in 2024-25, placing the borough among the higher-paid councils in Northern Ireland as the latest Town Hall Rich List records a new UK-wide high in six-figure local authority remuneration.

Across Northern Ireland’s 11 councils, 59 employees received total remuneration of more than £100,000 in 2024-25, up from 51 the previous year, while all Northern Ireland councils also increased district rates for 2026-27.

The figures come from the TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List 2026, the 20th edition of the project, which the organisation describes as a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals.

The report says 4,733 local authority employees across the UK received total remuneration of at least £100,000 in 2024-25, an increase of 827 on 2023-24, or 21.2 per cent. It also found 1,255 received at least £150,000, up 14.9 per cent, and 366 received at least £200,000, up 39.7 per cent.

For Ballymena and the wider Mid and East Antrim borough, the headline local figure is Valerie Watts.

Listed in the dataset as interim chief executive, she received a salary of £127,500, pension contributions of £24,225, and total remuneration of £151,725. Two other Mid and East Antrim officials also crossed the £100,000 mark: Philip Thompson, listed as acting director of community, on £121,975, and Jonathon McGrandle, listed as acting director of development, on £116,025.

That leaves Mid and East Antrim with three six-figure earners in the 2024-25 dataset, the lowest count of any Northern Ireland council in this year’s list.

Love Ballymena understands a number of temporary directorship positions were not included in the list but we will provide a further update in the coming weeks.

The regional average works out at 5.4 employees over £100,000 per council, meaning Mid and East Antrim sits well below the Northern Ireland average by headcount, even though its top package remains one of the larger individual remuneration deals in the region.

Belfast tops Northern Ireland as Mid and East Antrim ranks ninth by highest individual package

While Mid and East Antrim’s top remuneration package breaks through the £150,000 line, it is not the highest in Northern Ireland. That distinction belongs to Belfast City Council chief executive John Walsh, whose total remuneration reached £181,475.

The next highest Northern Ireland packages were R Wilson, chief executive of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, on £163,625, and Marie Ward, clerk and chief executive of Newry, Mourne and Down, also on £163,625. They were followed by chief executives in Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, Lisburn and Castlereagh, and Mid Ulster, each on £157,675.

Valerie Watts’ £151,725 package places her ninth in the Northern Ireland list when all named individuals in the spreadsheet are ranked by total remuneration.

Belfast’s top package was £29,750 higher than Mid and East Antrim’s, while the leading packages in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon and in Newry, Mourne and Down were each £11,900 higher. Mid and East Antrim’s top figure was also £6,900 below the £157,675 packages recorded by five other Northern Ireland councils.

At the other end of the regional scale, the highest individual package at Antrim and Newtownabbey was £144,825, while Ards and North Down topped out at £139,825.

A lower headcount than other councils - but still one of the bigger individual remuneration packages

The Mid and East Antrim picture becomes sharper when set beside the rest of Northern Ireland council leadership structures.

Belfast had 10 employees over £100,000, the highest total in the region. Antrim and Newtownabbey followed with eight. Ards and North Down and Lisburn and Castlereagh each had six. Mid Ulster and Newry, Mourne and Down each had five. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, and Fermanagh and Omagh each had four. Mid and East Antrim, with three, had the fewest.

That means Mid and East Antrim had fewer six-figure earners than every other Northern Ireland council in the report, despite still having one of the higher-paid top officers in the region.

The 59 six-figure packages across Northern Ireland also align exactly with the report’s regional total for 2024-25. The same report shows Northern Ireland had 51 such employees in 2023-24, meaning the latest figure represents an increase of eight in a single year.

Why the numbers matter now

The Town Hall Rich List lands against a backdrop of rising local taxation and long-running debate around value for money, transparency and senior public sector pay.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance says the number of local authority employees on the list has risen eightfold, from 578 in 2005-06 to 4,733 in 2024-25. It says local taxpayers have borne a significant share of the burden over that period, with the average Band D council tax in England rising by 79 per cent between 2005-06 and 2024-25, while the equivalent rise was 120 per cent in Wales and 30 per cent in Scotland.

The report adds that in 2026-27, the average Band D council tax is set to rise by 4.9 per cent or £111 in England, 5.2 per cent or £113 in Wales, and 7.1 per cent or £110 in Scotland, and notes that all Northern Irish councils also increased their district rates for 2026-27.

The report argues that the list is intended to help residents hold their councils to account and says the case for greater transparency has strengthened as the number of council employees receiving at least £100,000 in total remuneration has hit a record high for the second year in a row.

It also says councils still need to meet their statutory obligations to publish accounts on time, and that greater standardisation in annual accounts is needed to allow cleaner comparisons across authorities.

The national backdrop is even starker

Across the UK, the highest remunerated individual in 2024-25 was an unnamed employee at Staffordshire council on £457,500. The report says the name and job title were not provided. It also found that the individual with the largest compensation for loss of office payment was an unnamed assistant chief executive at Cambridge council, who received £222,559 in compensation and £330,101 in total remuneration.

The largest bonus payment went to Elaine Allergretti, strategic director, children and adults at Barking and Dagenham council, who received a bonus of £34,161 and total remuneration of £232,923.

The report says Westminster council had the largest number of staff receiving over £100,000 in 2024-25, with 92, up 19 from the previous year. It says that is a 12-fold increase from 2005-06, when Westminster had seven such employees.

It also states that 320 council employees received a higher salary than the prime minister’s £172,153 salary entitlement in 2024, while six councils that have issued section 114 notices since 2020 still had 124 employees receiving more than £100,000 in total remuneration in 2024-25.

How the report treats Northern Ireland figures

One of the most important technical notes for interpreting the Northern Ireland data appears in the methodology section.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance says that in Northern Ireland, it has assumed an employer pension contribution equivalent to 19 per cent of the employee’s salary, in line with what each Northern Ireland local authority contributes to the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee scheme.

It also says each entry refers to an individual, not a position, and that where salary bands are provided, the midpoint has been used.

That is significant because it means pension figures in the Northern Ireland entries are not simply incidental extras. They are a material part of the total remuneration calculation used throughout the regional breakdown.

The methodology section also says total remuneration is not limited to salary but includes employer pension contributions, benefits in kind, expenses, bonuses, election-related payments and compensation for loss of office where available.

It adds that because figures in council salary bands rarely include employer pension contributions, many non-senior staff reported as receiving salaries between £90,000 and £99,999 may in reality have total remuneration above £100,000 once pension contributions are included, meaning the overall figure of 4,733 is likely to be an underestimate.

Mid and East Antrim’s entries in detail

Valerie Watts, Philip Thompson, and Jonathon McGrandle

The local Mid and East Antrim figures contain no bonuses, benefits in kind, compensation for loss of office or other payments in the entries above £100,000.

For Valerie Watts, the spreadsheet records:

Salary £127,500; expenses/benefits in kind £0; bonuses £0; compensation for loss of office £0; other £0; sub total excluding pension £127,500; pension £24,225; total remuneration £151,725.

For Philip Thompson, listed as acting director of community, the spreadsheet records:

Salary £102,500; expenses/benefits in kind £0; bonuses £0; compensation for loss of office £0; other £0; sub total excluding pension £102,500; pension £19,475; total remuneration £121,975. The notes field states: “Is the director of operations but moved over to fulfil the role of director of community from May 2024.”

For Jonathon McGrandle, listed as acting director of development, the spreadsheet records:

Salary £97,500; expenses/benefits in kind £0; bonuses £0; compensation for loss of office £0; other £0; sub total excluding pension £97,500; pension £18,525; total remuneration £116,025.

Together, those three packages total £389,725 in remuneration for Mid and East Antrim’s listed six-figure earners in 2024-25.

The wider Northern Ireland picture in full

The figures show clear differences not just in top pay, but in how many officers each council has above the six-figure line.

At Belfast City Council, 10 employees were listed above £100,000, with a combined total remuneration of £1,398,250. Belfast also recorded the region’s highest individual package, with chief executive John Walsh on £181,475.

At Antrim and Newtownabbey, eight employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £977,950. Its highest entry was R Baker on £144,825.

At Ards and North Down, six employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £714,000. Its highest package was S McCullough on £139,825.

At Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, four employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £529,550. Its highest package was R Wilson on £163,625.

At Causeway Coast and Glens, four employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £505,750. Its highest package was D Jackson on £157,675.

At Derry City and Strabane, four employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £505,750. Its highest package was John Kelpie on £157,675.

At Fermanagh and Omagh, four employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £499,800. Its highest package was Alison McCullagh on £157,675.

At Lisburn and Castlereagh, six employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £727,685. Its highest package was D Burns on £157,675.

At Mid Ulster, five employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £627,725. Its highest package was Adrian McCreesh on £157,675.

At Newry, Mourne and Down, five employees were listed above £100,000, with combined remuneration of £649,625. Its highest package was Marie Ward on £163,625.

Across all 11 Northern Ireland councils, the combined total remuneration of the 59 listed six-figure earners came to £7,525,810.

Full Northern Ireland breakdown

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

R Baker - undisclosed

Salary: £117,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £1,800

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £122,500

Pension: £22,325

Total remuneration: £144,825

Notes: none

M McAlister - undisclosed

Salary: £107,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £1,200

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £107,500

Pension: £20,425

Total remuneration: £127,925

Notes: none

S Cole - undisclosed

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £2,400

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £107,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £126,975

Notes: none

U Fay - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £2,800

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £121,025

Notes: none

M Laverty - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £2,000

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

M McDowell - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £1,900

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

H Hall - undisclosed

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £1,200

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £115,075

Notes: none

J Close - undisclosed

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £200

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: none

Ards and North Down Borough Council

S McCullough - director of place/chief executive

Salary: £117,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £117,500

Pension: £22,325

Total remuneration: £139,825

Notes: Chief executive from 27 April 2024

G Bannister - director of community and wellbeing

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £500

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

D Lindsay - director of environment

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

A McCullough - director of prosperity

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

M Steele - director of corporate services

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

B Dorrian - director of place

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: From 27 April 2024

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

R Wilson - chief executive

Salary: £137,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £137,500

Pension: £26,125

Total remuneration: £163,625

Notes: none

C Stoops - deputy chief executive

Salary: £112,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £112,500

Pension: £21,375

Total remuneration: £133,875

Notes: none

J Hayes - director of environmental services and sustainability

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

P Tamati - director of community and wellbeing

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: From 30 April 2024

Belfast City Council

John Walsh - chief executive

Salary: £152,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £152,500

Pension: £28,975

Total remuneration: £181,475

Notes: none

Sharon McNicholl - deputy chief executive/strategic director of corporate services

Salary: £122,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £122,500

Pension: £23,275

Total remuneration: £145,775

Notes: none

David Sales - strategic director of city operations

Salary: £122,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £122,500

Pension: £23,275

Total remuneration: £145,775

Notes: none

John Tully - director of city and organisational strategy

Salary: £117,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £117,500

Pension: £22,325

Total remuneration: £139,825

Notes: none

Damien Martin - strategic director of place and economy

Salary: £117,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £117,500

Pension: £22,325

Total remuneration: £139,825

Notes: none

Nora Largey - city solicitor

Salary: £117,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £117,500

Pension: £22,325

Total remuneration: £139,825

Notes: none

Sinead Grimes - director operational of physical programmes

Salary: £107,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £107,500

Pension: £20,425

Total remuneration: £127,925

Notes: none

Christine Sheridan - director of human resources

Salary: £107,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £107,500

Pension: £20,425

Total remuneration: £127,925

Notes: none

Trevor Wallace - director of finance

Salary: £107,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £107,500

Pension: £20,425

Total remuneration: £127,925

Notes: none

Eunan McConville - director of external affairs, communications and market

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

D Jackson - chief executive

Salary: £132,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £132,500

Pension: £25,175

Total remuneration: £157,675

Notes: Performance payment is included within the salary, paid one year in arrears. The performance payment made in 2024-25 was £5,726

M Quinn - director of corporate services

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

A McPeake - director of environmental services

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

P Mulvenna - director of leisure and development

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: none

Derry City and Strabane District Council

John Kelpie - chief executive

Salary: £132,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £132,500

Pension: £25,175

Total remuneration: £157,675

Notes: none

Stephen Gillespie - director of business and culture

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Karen McFarland - director of health and community

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Karen Phillips - director of environment and regeneration

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council - Enniskillen Office

Alison McCullagh - chief executive

Salary: £132,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £132,500

Pension: £25,175

Total remuneration: £157,675

Notes: none

John Boyle - director of community and wellbeing

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

John News - director of environment and place

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Jill Cush - director of corporate services and governance

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: none

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

D Burns - chief executive

Salary: £132,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £132,500

Pension: £25,175

Total remuneration: £157,675

Notes: none

D Rogan - director of regeneration and growth

Salary: £98,000

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £98,000

Pension: £18,620

Total remuneration: £116,620

Notes: none

L Moore - director of leisure and community wellbeing

Salary: £98,000

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £98,000

Pension: £18,620

Total remuneration: £116,620

Notes: none

C McCrory - director of finance and corporate services

Salary: £98,000

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £98,000

Pension: £18,620

Total remuneration: £116,620

Notes: none

C Magee - director of od and innovation

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: none

R Harvey - acting director of environmental services

Salary: £92,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £92,500

Pension: £17,575

Total remuneration: £110,075

Notes: none

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Valerie Watts - interim chief executive

Salary: £127,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £127,500

Pension: £24,225

Total remuneration: £151,725

Notes: none

Philip Thompson - acting director of community

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: Is the director of operations but moved over to fulfil the role of director of community from May 2024

Jonathon McGrandle - acting director of development

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Mid Ulster District Council - Dungannon

Adrian McCreesh - undisclosed

Salary: £132,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £132,500

Pension: £25,175

Total remuneration: £157,675

Notes: none

Anne-Marie Campbell - undisclosed

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

Ryan Black - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Marissa Canavan - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

JJ Tohill - undisclosed

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £0

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £97,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £116,025

Notes: none

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Marie Ward - clerk and chief executive

Salary: £137,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £137,500

Pension: £26,125

Total remuneration: £163,625

Notes: none

Conor Mallon - director of enterprise, regeneration and tourism

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

Josephine Kelly - director of corporate services

Salary: £102,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £19,475

Total remuneration: £121,975

Notes: none

Sinead Murphy - director of sustainability and environment

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £600

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £121,025

Notes: none

Andrew Patterson - director of active and healthy communities

Salary: £97,500

Expenses/benefits in kind: £100

Bonuses: £0

Compensation for loss of office: £0

Other: £0

Sub total (excluding pension): £102,500

Pension: £18,525

Total remuneration: £121,025

Notes: none

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At a glance

• Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s interim chief executive Valerie Watts received £151,725 in total remuneration in 2024-25.

• Across Northern Ireland’s 11 councils, 59 employees received more than £100,000 in total remuneration, up from 51 a year earlier.

• Mid and East Antrim had three six-figure earners, the lowest total of any Northern Ireland council in the dataset.

• Belfast had the region’s highest-paid council employee, with chief executive John Walsh on £181,475.

• The next highest Northern Ireland packages were R Wilson of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon and Marie Ward of Newry, Mourne and Down, both on £163,625.

• Five councils - Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, Lisburn and Castlereagh, and Mid Ulster - each had top packages of £157,675.

• Belfast had the highest number of six-figure earners in Northern Ireland with 10, followed by Antrim and Newtownabbey with eight.

• The TaxPayers’ Alliance says 4,733 local authority employees across the UK received at least £100,000 in 2024-25, a 21.2 per cent rise on the previous year.

• The report says all Northern Irish councils also increased district rates for 2026-27.

• The report’s methodology assumes a Northern Ireland employer pension contribution equal to 19 per cent of salary.