Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell’s reported comments (Oxford Mail, October 2) had a touch of hubris about them.

No wonder the council’s chief executive Joanna Simons was depicted as smiling; who wouldn’t be on £189,000 a year? But is she worth it?

The top organ grinders within the public sector are continually braying that salaries must match those of the private sector, but how many of them have a proven track record of actually working in the private sector to justify their overblown salaries?

The public sector has been awash with cash, thanks to Gordon Brown’s ultimately absurd borrowing binge. The gravy train is now shuddering to a grinding halt, and not before time.

But why should pensioners on fixed incomes, an ever larger section of society, be paying a higher council tax than required in order to meet senior managers’ expectations?

Mr Mitchell should beef up his pay and remuneration committee and engage in some overdue salary slashing, starting at the top.

There will never be a better time to do so than now, in the midst of a continuing recession.

An old Chinese proverb says ‘the more the monkey climbs the tree, the more you can see of its behind!’ Senior staff should take note.

Timothy J Oates, Abingdon town councillor, St Peter’s Road, Abingdon