The council says it fills all its adviser roles according to a competitive and open process and that the positions are public service positions, not political roles. There is no suggestion that the salaries are excessive.

But coincidentally seven staffers with clear Liberal links have been chosen to fill five positions in the past two years.

A leaked council document showing staffers' salaries show the four positions filled by Liberal-aligned staff cost ratepayers at least $450,000 a year. A previous and aborted Liberal appointment to the council's number two job came at an additional salary of $200,000 a year.

"Strategic communications manager" Jennifer Havilah is paid $175,000 each year by the council.

Ms Havilah said she is not a member of the Liberal Party and won her job through a competitive selection process run by the council's CEO and two other public servants.

But she joined the council after serving as communications director for the NSW Liberal Party for about 16 months. And the former lobbyist once boasted on her company website of strong ties to NSW government ministers following a previous role as communications director to a state Liberal opposition leader.

But Ms Havilah said she had also worked for the NSW police at a time when NSW Labor governments were in power and that her salary was below that of other council department heads.

"All permanent staff employed by council are employed on their merits," a council spokesman said. "Council does not maintain records on the political affiliations of any of its staff."

The council's previous CEO – who enjoyed compensation in excess of $300,000 – was sacked suddenly after coming into conflict with Mr Mannoun in April last year.

Recently-elected Liberal MLC Shayne Mallard enjoyed a salary of $130,000 a year to serve as Mr Mannoun's "senior policy officer". Mr Mallard said he was chosen by the chief executive and other council public servants and worked up to 80 hours a week.

Like the mayor himself, Mr Mallard is a member of the party's moderate faction and close to its political boss, Michael Photios.

Several younger party hacks cycled through more junior "researcher" roles on salaries of up to $80,000 per year, these include moderate factional allies Dominic Kelly, Patrick Moore, Nicholas Maxwell and Kate Schouten.

Mr Maxwell and Mr Moore said their positions were advertised competitively. Requests for comment to Ms Schouten and and Mr Kelly were not returned.

Mr Kelly attended Mr Photios' sumptuous 2011 wedding in Phuket, Thailand.

In 2013, the council sacked another Liberal mover and shaker, ex-developer Matt Daniel, who was forced to quit the deputy general manager's job on a salary of about $200,000 for failing to declare he was an undischarged bankrupt.

The council will this month debate a motion brought by Liberal councillor and the mayor's rival, Peter Ristevski, to remove all advisers reporting to the mayor and chief executiveand replace them with one personal assistant each. "In Fairfield and Bankstown councils (which are of equivalent size to Liverpool), the mayor and councillors do not have any policy advisors or research staff," the motion reads.

Mr Mannoun said he had recently awarded a consulting contract to Christopher Brown, the son of a former Hawke cabinet minister, to help promote the city.

The Liberal-controlled council has been in open and internecine warfare this year alongside a struggle for control of Liverpool's party branches – and by extension pre-selections for state, federal and local seats.

Mr Mannoun reported Cr Ristevski to party bosses for allegedly associating with convicted drug dealer Tony "The Falcon" Atanasovski.

Cr Ristevski denied having a close relationship with Mr Atanasovski, from whom it was alleged the party had accepted a $160 cash donation at a Liberal fund-raiser attended by several state and federal MPs.