AN executive member has 'rejected a call' from the Liberal Democrat leader suggesting a top council finance director should be paid a bonus.

Lynton Green, the council's director of finance and information services, was honoured for his work in November at an annual awards ceremony celebrating the best directors in the business.

And at Monday's full council meeting he was praised at the Town Hall by members.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Bob Barr was one of the councillors to speak during the discussion and joked about the possibility of Mr Green receiving a bonus, which was met with smiles from some in the room.

But executive board member for personnel and communications Cllr Hitesh Patel was angered and said he is 'rejecting' the call.

He added: "When the Lib Dems and Tory coalition ran the Town Hall the numbers of directors and senior managers ballooned and there were instances where unjustifiable bonuses were being paid.

"Since Labour came to power we have worked hard to safeguard frontline council services by significantly reducing the numbers of senior managers by over 20 per cent which will save the Warrington taxpayer well over £2 million.

"The insensitive suggestion to pay a bonus to a senior manager for doing their job well was astonishing given that there were members of the public in the audience as well as council employees and Union officials.

"There are council employees at all levels of the organisation doing fantastic work under very difficult budget pressures and politicians should not flippantly suggest paying bonuses to a chosen few.

"I am sure the people of Warrington would rather we spend our scarce resources on frontline services rather than accept a Lib Dem request to pay bonuses to senior managers' pay."

Cllr Barr said Cllr Patel is fully aware it was 'not a call to pay a bonus' and in fact an opportunity to make a 'light-hearted reference' to a more serious issue.

He added: "Cllr Patel needs to listen more carefully in council meetings and recognise a light-hearted remark, as other members of the council did, when he hears one.

"I did, indeed, suggest that 'as the council's banker, perhaps a bonus for Lynton would be more appropriate'.

"This comment was made in response to an equally light-hearted congratulation to Lynton from the executive board member for finance Cllr Russ Bowden, who had congratulated Lynton for his award, but regretted that it wouldn't mean any more pay.

"I agree that bonuses are not appropriate for those doing a well paid job in the public sector, however well they do it.

"But Lynton is being employed by the council to carry out duties more akin to a banker than a local government civil servant.

"The Labour administration has chosen, controversially, to exploit the council's high credit rating and low borrowing cost, to borrow money in order to re-lend it."