Councillor Guy puts fun ahead of paid duties

Tauranga city councillor Murray Guy went on holiday for almost two weeks to race his car in the South Island while his colleagues voted on vital issues he campaigned fiercely on at the election.
Just 10 days after the votes of more than 17,000 people ensured his re-election, Cr Guy sent Mayor Stuart Crosby a short email informing him he was not going to be at council during part of November.
But Mr Crosby told the Bay of Plenty Times last night Cr Guy did not formally apply for leave in accordance with council procedure.
The mayor will now be taking advice on whether Cr Guy has contravened the council's standing orders.
He said he had never said no to requests from councillors for leave, but councillors were paid a significant salary and "frankly you should be here to do the work".
In the email to the mayor, Cr Guy wrote: "Please note in your diaries my absence from council of the dates 14-27 November (representing north in the south)."
It has emerged that Cr Guy, 54, was in Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin over this period in the inaugural Interislander North v South racing series which finished last Sunday.
The self-confessed "sucker for the roar of V8 engines", whose nickname in racing circles is grandad, sent Mr Crosby his email on October 23, though he had signed up for the saloon car race series at least four months earlier.
He has since returned from his leave and has another five-week break from council meetings to look forward to as none are currently scheduled from December 19 to January 29.
Cr Guy started his paid period of absence by leaving a council meeting on November 14 early "as I had a ferry to catch", thus missing a vote on the future of the controversial waterfront museum.
He based part of his election campaign on scrapping the project but when it came to the crucial council decision on its fate he had already left and was on his way to Wellington.
Earlier in the same meeting, attended by 100 members of the public, he was present to be elected to the position of chairperson of the monitoring committee _ the first time he has been appointed to such a position on council.
He asked for that agenda item to be heard first.
The salaries of committee chairpersons will be decided next month but the last council boosted a councillor's pay to $74,856.
Not only did Cr Guy miss the museum vote, he also:
- Missed a strategy and policy committee meeting on November 22
- Missed the first meeting since the election of the monitoring committee, of which he is chairperson
- Missed a meeting when a traffic plan for Welcome Bay was voted on.
The latter meeting was held on Tuesday this week, where a vote was tied at 5-5 on recommending Transit NZ put on hold plans to install traffic lights on the Welcome Bay and Hairini roundabouts, and to investigate putting an underpass in instead.
The mayor had to use his casting vote because of the deadlock, and went against the notice of motion submitted by Cr Bill Grainger, meaning the traffic light proposal is now closer to being realised.
Had Cr Guy been present then he said he would have backed Cr Grainger and the notice of motion would have passed. Cr Guy, who pledged ahead of the election as the face of the Pick 6 ticket, for "clear accountability", has strongly defended taking a holiday when the council has meetings.
He said it was "unfortunate" the way the leave clashed with meetings and said he took part in the race series because he had made a commitment some time ago to participate.
When asked by the Bay of Plenty Times whether he was more committed to car racing or the public, Cr Guy said it was "not about choosing between them".
It did not strike him as odd to take a break when there was a substantial one on the horizon and he felt no guilt at missing crucial meetings.
What do you think? Was Cr Guy right to take time off? Email us with your thoughts at editor@bopp.co.nz or write to The Editor, Bay of Plenty Times, Private Bag 12002, Tauranga