Hertfordshire County Council has made it on to the “town hall rich list” for the second successive year.

Every year the TaxPayer’s Alliance compiles a comprehensive list of local authority employees whose total annual remuneration exceeds £100,000.

In the last financial year, Hertfordshire County Council paid ten members of staff £100,000 or more, down from 12 in 2014-15.

However the council defended its pay policy, saying: “We have taken significant steps to reduce senior management costs at Hertfordshire County Council in recent years. 

“As a result, the remaining senior managers have taken on more responsibility to lead council staff through challenging financial times, ensuring we continue to deliver important services while still making savings from our budget.

“We work to ensure that our salaries are in line with the market to attract and retain the best possible people to meet our challenging agenda in a competitive recruitment market close to London.

“When considering the size of the council, budget and number of residents we work for, compared with other councils in the region, the senior management costs are at the lower end of the scale and this is reflected in the report.

“To ensure transparency in this area and comply with open data, all information is available on our website.”

Hertfordshire County Council voted to raise council tax by 4.99 per cent earlier this year – 1.99 per cent for core tax and 3 per cent for the social care precept.