A "rich list" of council executives has revealed the highest town hall earners in Devon and Cornwall.
Twenty officers across both counties earned £100,000 or more in the year ending April 2007, according to Taxpayers Alliance (TPA), who compiled the list.
The campaign group asked every council in the country to reveal how many of its officers received more than £100,000.
Wage details were obtained by the TPA under the Freedom of Information Act.
Plymouth City Council chief executive Barry Keel tops the Devon and Cornwall "fat cat" pay list.
He earned a whopping £168,216 in 2006/07, nearly £30,000 more than Ben Bradshaw, the Minister for the South West.
Keel's enormous salary included an essential car user allowance of £819, the TPA said.
It is the latest embarrassment for Plymouth City Council over pay after it announced last month that 2,000 of its workers face salary cuts from September 2010.
However, the city council defended the amount it pays for Keel's services.
In a statement, the authority said: "If local government is to attract and retain the right calibre of people to lead large and complex organisations at times of great change, it needs to pay appropriate salaries."
Matthew Elliott, TPA: "Taxpayers have a right to know how much senior town hall officials are being paid because only then can we judge whether they deserve their remuneration."
The next highest earner is Devon County Council's chief executive P Norrey, who takes home £150,000, the survey claimed.
Torbay chief executive Elizabeth Raikes earns a cool £135,000, while Bronwen Lacey, Plymouth director of children's services, pockets a staggering £127,416.
The salaries were revealed as Devon and Cornwall residents received their council tax bills for the coming year, with rises of up to 4.8 per cent for many local authorities.
TPA chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "Taxpayers have a right to know how much senior town hall officials are being paid because only then can we judge whether they deserve their remuneration.
"Too often, council executives are rewarded handsomely even when they fail. Families and pensioners are struggling with the demands of yet another council tax rise, and councils owe it to them to cut back on executive pay hikes."
Nationally, 818 council bosses are earning more than £100,000, up from 645 in 2005/2006.
The highest earner in England was Northamptonshire County Council chief executive Peter Gould, who is on £215,000 per annum - £27,000 more than Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The figures include basic salaries, bonuses cars, medical insurance, and other benefits but not pensions.
Devon and Cornwall "Town Hall Rich List" (council officials earning more than £100,000 per annum in 2006-7)
Cornwall County Council chief executive Sheila Healy - £124,483
Cornwall county treasurer Frank Twyning - £114,280
Cornwall county solicitor Ian Kennaway - £107,625
Cornwall director of planning, transportation and estates Richard Fish - £103,253
Cornwall headteacher - £101,691
Devon County Council chief executive P Norrey - £150,000
Devon county environment director and deputy chief executive E Chorlton - £111,405
Devon chief executive (retired) P Jenkinson - £128,052
Devon county solicitor R Gash - £123,540
Devon director, adult and community services D Johnstone - £123,540
Devon director, personnel and performance, H Barnes - £123,540
Devon director, finance and IT, J Mills - £123,540
Devon director children's services A Whiteley - £120,000
Exeter City Council chief executive P Bostock - £100,000
North Devon District Council chief executive John Sunderland - £106,252
Plymouth City Council chief executive Barry Keel - £168,216
Plymouth director of children's services Bronwen Lacey - £127,416
Plymouth director of community services Clive Turner - £112,715
Torbay Council chief executive Elizabeth Raikes - £135,000
Torbay strategic director of children's services Margaret Dennison - £105,000
Source: Taxpayers Alliance
comments
What do you think? Give us your opinion on the comments page.