HE was already paid more than the NSW Premier and now, City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath's salary will rise again.
After a confidential session on Tuesday night, independent lord mayor Gavin Morris announced the council had approved a three per cent increase in Mr Bath's total remuneration package.
A question put to City of Newcastle by the Newcastle Herald for the dollar figure of Mr Bath's salary, which is paid for by ratepayers, went ignored.
Based on 2025 figures, which showed Mr Bath earned $523,366 compared to Mr Minns' pay packet of $431,540, the Herald estimates the three per cent increase brings Mr Bath's salary to $544,217, an extra $15,851 per year.
Mr Bath is paid an additional $80,000 as a council representative on the Newcastle Airport board.
The CEO's pay increase is effective from January 1, 2026, and applies for the duration of the contract.
A City of Newcastle spokesman said the chief executive's salary was unanimously recommended by the CEO Performance Review Panel.
The Herald asked the council who sits on the performance review panel. That question was not answered.
The panel was chaired by former lord mayor Ross Kerridge in February this year. The Herald understands the four deputy lord mayors for this term, which include Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe, Liberal councillor Callum Pull and Labor councillors Declan Clausen and Deahnna Richardson, sit on the panel.
"The panel is supported by an independent facilitator who was chosen by the panel, again when Ross Kerridge was lord mayor," the council spokesperson said.
"All councillors were invited to provide feedback on the CEO's performance and that feedback was considered by the panel as part of the review process."
The panel completed the 2025 review across three meetings, the first held on December 14, was chaired by deputy lord mayor Cr McCabe while Dr Kerridge was on leave.
The second and third meetings, held on January 19 and February 2 this year, were chaired by Dr Kerridge with other panel members and a facilitator in attendance.
Dr Kerridge said the deliberations of the performance review are confidential but said there were "extensive discussions" before the final outcome.
"In seeking an appropriate facilitator, we changed from the previous one to Blackadder," he said.
"Of all the people on the current council, the person with the most experience in terms of executive appraisal and coaching is Peter Gittins."
The council spokesman said Mr Bath was assessed to be operating at a level of performance "above reasonable expectations" and was recognised for the improved culture and performance of the organisation under his leadership.
"Council approved a three per cent increase in the CEO's total remuneration package in alignment with the performance-based increase granted to staff who achieve their performance goals," he said.
The council spokesman confirmed there had been no increase in the fee paid to directors at Newcastle Airport in recent years.
"Every council general manager's performance and salary is reviewed by their elected council annually," he said.
"For the Hunter, this means the process happens 10 times each year across the region."
The council also endorsed the panel's recommendation for Mr Bath's priorities and projects for 2026.
Figures from 2025 revealed ratepayers at five Hunter and Central Coast councils were forking out more for their chief executives than NSW Premier Chris Minns was paid.
Central Coast Council chief executive David Farmer's 2025 remuneration was more than $562,000 per year, Maitland City Council's general manager Jeff Smith's was $483,388 per year and the general managers of Cessnock and Lake Macquarie were paid $481,338 and $474,126 respectively.
