The Christchurch City Council paid out more than $1 million to their chief executives. Photo / George Heard
The Christchurch City Council paid out more than $1 million to their chief executives. Photo / George Heard
The Taxpayers’ Union has released its annual Council Chief Executive “Rich List”, revealing the highest-paid council bosses in New Zealand over the 2023-24 financial year.
At the top of the list is Christchurch City Council, which paid out a total of $1,027,696 to CEOs Dawn Baxendale and Mary Richardson.
GoreDistrict Council came in second with $771,558 paid out to Stephen Parry, Deborah Lascelles and Lornae Straith.
Auckland Council’s costs were the third highest at $735,935.
Rotorua Lakes Council’s Geoff Williams, Andrew Moraes and Gina Rangi pocketed $695,961 collectively over that financial period.
Tauranga City Council’s Marty Grenfell rounds out the top 5 with $623,658 – according to the list.
The figures for Christchurch, Gore and Rotorua Lakes are something of an anomaly because they were all served by multiple CEOs during that time.
Gore Mayor Ben Bell became New Zealand's youngest mayor in 2022. Photo / Gerrard O'Brien
Gore Mayor Ben Bell told the Herald that whilst the amount paid by his council is accurate, he believes it is “designed to be misleading” by the Taxpayers’ Union (NZTU).
Figures provided by Bell show that the $771,558 figure is largely made up from the salary ($372,413) and severance payment ($293,415) of Mr Parry.
Parry’s departure, after 22 years with the council, followed a strained relationship with Bell after the young mayor’s election win in 2022.
A rift between Gore Mayor Ben Bell (left) and former council CEO Stephen Parry ended with Parry's departure. Photo / ODT
Bell says Parry’s replacement is one of the lowest-paid in the country.
“It’s important to note this is from 2 years ago, and not 24/25 numbers. The irony is, if Ms Lascelles was ranked correctly, she would be toward the bottom, somewhere below Central Hawkes Bay,” says Bell.
Rotorua Lakes went through a similar situation with outgoing CEO Geoff Williams, who left in 2023.
A Rotorua Lakes council spokesperson confirmed the figure was correct.
“The amount for the 2023/24 financial year includes the remuneration of the current CE Andrew Moraes [who started at the council in March 2024], as well as the remuneration of the previous CE Geoff Williams, who was entitled to be paid out a balance of his contract when he left in September 2023. In addition to this, a salary was paid to the acting CE, Gina Rangi, before Mr Moraes started,” said the spokesperson.
Christchurch tops the list – but includes the complicated departure of Dawn Baxendale ($745,002) and payment to her replacement, Mary Richardson ($282,694).
The Christchurch council told the Herald that Richardson’s annual salary is $450,000.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger and former chief executive Dawn Baxendale. Photo / Christchurch City Council
An Auckland Council spokesperson told the Herald the chief executive’s salary is $628,200, “with the only other benefits applied being Kiwisaver”.
“The number quoted in the NZTU’s figures is from the council’s 2023/24 annual report and covers all chief executive costs for that period, including for the previous CE, their final pay and a short period of transition between the two. It is incorrect to attribute these costs in their entirety to Phil Wilson,” said the spokesperson.
The hefty pay packets have raised the ire of the NZTU.
Sam Warren, the local government campaigns manager for the Taxpayers’ Union, says that at a time when households across New Zealand have been “tightening their belts to pay for massive rates increases”, council CEOs are earning “an average five and a half times more” than the average New Zealand salary.
“Despite the recession, town clerks are living it up – the average council CEO pocketed a pay hike of 16 grand. While ratepayers are forking out 35% more on average than three years ago, there’s no shortage of cash in the CEO households.
Sam Warren of the Taxpayers' Union says most council CEOs are "just overpaid professional bureaucrats".
“Perhaps the CEO job title should be reverted to town clerk to get the pay packets back under control. Town clerk is more honest. Seldom are they actual ‘CEOs’ from the private sector – most are just overpaid professional bureaucrats,” says Warren.
Carterton District Council paid out the least, with $229,138 to CEO Geoff Hamilton.
