I knew this moment would come at some point.

It's a council paying a member of staff a 'high' salary which suddenly gets the attention of the media and a certain Eric Pickles.

Oh, and throw in the Tax Payers Alliance for good measure and you've got a bugger of an issue to defend.

No surprise then that the salary isn't for a social worker, nope, it's for a ... head of communications.

Of course, the East Anglian Daily Times calls them a 'spin doctor' and the Tax Payers Alliance says they'll only be publishing news about how wonderful the council is.

Well, I say well done to Suffolk County Council for defending the need to have a well paid communications person, who far from spending time sending out stuff about how wonderful the council is, will actually be needed to help explain to the people of Suffolk about the 'pain' that lies ahead as the axe falls with regard to public spending.

But, this new head of communications will also have to make sure they can prove their worth (and that of his or her team), use evaluation, insight and intelligence to back up everything they do and never forget that they have as much to do to help the council save money as every other person that works there.

OK, I don't personally think that a head of communications for a local authority needs to be paid more than the Prime Minister, but it's pleasing to see that another council thinks there is a need to invest in communications right now, even if that means just rejigging existing resources.

At the recent LGcommunications national conference in Leeds, my new council leader Keith Wakefield recorded a video in which he acknowledged the need to 'invest in communications' which he told delegates is 'key part of democracy.'  You can watch the video here.

That's good to hear Councillor.

Here's how the Press Association is reporting the story above:

A Tory minister has criticised a Conservative Suffolk council's decision to pay a public relations manager between GBP2,000 and GBP3,500 a week.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said Suffolk County Council had not made a "compelling case" for offering its latest head of communications a "super salary".

The council, which in recent years has also been criticised for paying chief executive Andrea Hill more than GBP200,000 a year, defended the move and argued that taxpayers would benefit in the long run.

News of the deal emerged in local newspaper the East Anglian Daily Times. The new boss is due to start a six-month contract later this month.

"We are calling time on this reckless attitude to spending taxpayers' cash on super salaries," said Mr Pickles. Local government must wake up and realise the gravy train is on borrowed time.

"The days of taking the taxpayer for a ride are over. We must deliver value for money and I believe our plans to throw open the books of councils will put an end to wasteful spending. There may well be a compelling case for this salary but so far it hasn't been made."

The Taxpayers' Alliance, which campaigns for better use of public money, also criticised the council.

"Spending on public relations and communications at local council level is far too high already - GBP700 a day for six months will leave Suffolk taxpayers with an astronomical bill, all so that the local authority can tell residents how great they are.

"An age of austerity is coming and the county council should make do with the communications staff they already have. They could easily cut back on the work they do that is targeted at their own residents."

A Suffolk County Council spokesman said: "A temporary head of communications will start on June 14 and whose job will be to implement the recommendations of the recent communications and marketing review.  The review will deliver significant savings to the county."