SCOTTISH Borders Council’s (SBC) unaudited annual accounts for the year to March 31 have been published, showing its top earners.

The accounts were released ahead of a meeting of the audit and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, June 29.

Having started in the role in March, chief executive Netta Meadow’s £128,405 full-year equivalent salary would make her the local authority’s top earner.

SBC executive director Rob Dickson (£113,200), chief financial officer David Robertson (£111,265) and customer and communities service director Jenni Craig (£90,109) were among the council’s top earners last year.

Meanwhile, former chief executive Tracey Logan pocketed £117,770 before leaving the position in September.

In total, the council spent £805,563 on senior employees’ salaries, fees and allowances in the last financial year, up from £668,954 in the previous 12 months.

The report also shows the highest paid ‘senior’ councillors.

Tweeddale East councillor Shona Haslam, the leader of SBC, was paid £35,713 last year, according to the document.

Council convener David Parker, representative for Melrose, was the second highest paid elected official at £26,785.

Executive members at the council were paid £23,459 for their efforts last year, according to the accounts.

The report shows the total remuneration paid to all councillors in the last financial year was £687,000 – £676,000 in salaries and the rest in expenses.

That is down on the previous year which saw councillors paid a total of £743,000 – £679,000 in salaries and £64,000 in expenses.

The report also states that “savings of £12.091m were delivered during 2020/21 in order to balance the costs of delivering services and the available resources”.

In her foreword of the report, Mrs Haslam says: “During 2020/21 Scottish Borders Council continued to deliver vital council services during the COVID-19 pandemic in very challenging circumstances.

“Over £12m savings were delivered to transform frontline services with a range of improvements highlighted in this report.”

The leader also outlined some ‘highlights’ for the council from the financial year, including the extension of the CGI contract to 2040, as well as delivering “new investment in assets for the Borders of £54.8m in schools, flood protection, roads, lighting and other assets”.