A RICH list compiled by The Taxpayers' Alliance shows that seven council staff within the four local councils in The Abergavenny Chronicle area earned £100,000 or more during 2008/09.

The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) has published the fourth Town Hall Rich List which lists staff in local government whose remuneration exceeds £100,000.

In Monmouthshire and Torfaen only chief executives earn over the amount - previous Monmouthshire chief executive Colin Berg who was in the position during that period earned £107,579, while Alison Ward, chief executive of Torfaen was paid £119,619, a 13.7 per cent increase on her 2007/08 wage of £105,171.

In Blaenau Gwent, chief executive Robin Morrison earned £108, 959 while corporate director of social services, Phil Hodgson was paid £100,000.

Three council staff members in Powys were

paid over £100,000 - chief executive Mark Kerr, £114,588; executive director Jeremy Patterson, £110,249 and executive director Phil Robson who was paid £110,332.

The total remuneration awarded includes basic salary and any allowances and expenses added on.

John O'Connell, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said, "Town Hall bosses

have had a very good recession at taxpayers' expense.

"More of them than ever are earning massive amounts, and they even enjoyed a healthy pay rise while everyone else was suffering pay freezes, cuts or redundancies.

"It is unfair that these public servants have been having a whale of a time while the ordinary taxpayers who fund their generous deals have been struggling to survive the recession.

"Now that most councils are in financial trouble, these senior managers must take serious pay cuts to help make ends meet."