Utrecht city council’s so-called air quality coordinator has eaned €1.4m over the past four years – more than three times the salary of the mayor and twice that of the prime minister, according to Utrecht news website dnu.nu

Hans Haarsma, who runs his own advisory firm Arena Consulting has been working for the council as an external advisor since 2005. His claim for work over the first six months of this year totals €183,244, the website says.
Local councillors are furious about Hans Haarsma’s pay and have demanded an explanation.
‘We could easily find someone to do this job for under €100,000 a year. It is fine to bring in someone from outside for a short period but not to pay someone €200 an hour for four years,’ Arjan Kleuver, a spokesman for the local branch of the D66 liberal democrats, told the website.