Suspended Birmingham City Council boss received £200,000 in wages

Jan 24 2010 By Jeanette Oldham

FURY erupted last night after it was revealed a top council boss had received £200,000 in wages despite being suspended for TWO YEARS.

And service director Berkley Broomes, 51, has agreed additional compensation of more than £50,000 with Birmingham City Council after an allegation made against him was dismissed.

Incredibly, despite being cleared months ago and remaining on the payroll he has not returned to work and a source said: ‘‘He’s not coming back.’’

The shocking revelations come as his department, Adults and Communities Directorate, is in financial crisis with hundreds of low-paid care home workers facing redundancy.

A council source said: “It’s incredible. This director has been paid almost as much as the Prime Minister for the past two years to sit at home all day.

‘‘At the same time, his department is in turmoil and carers in old people’s homes are being laid off.”

Mr Broomes has been allowed to remain on ‘gardening leave’ despite being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Yet just days ago the council’s human resources boss, Councillor Alan Rudge, responded to workers’ job fears by declaring: “We cannot employ people for the sake of it.”

At least 270 employees attached to Mr Broomes’ department are facing redundancy, while a further 1,380 others in the council are on notice of possible redundancy.

Council officials have refused to comment or justify why Mr Broomes has continued to draw his £90,000 salary despite not having done a single day’s work since 2007.

The nature of the unfounded allegation made against the director is unclear, but well-placed sources confirmed he was completely exonerated following an internal inquiry months ago.

But the council is said to have blocked his return to work.

Last night, the case was described by Birmingham City Council’s Labour and opposition leader Sir Albert Bore as “disgraceful”.