RACHEL PINDER
Exactly how much money is in a councillor's pay packet came under the spotlight again yesterday, as increased salaries up to and including the results of the October elections were proposed.
During a meeting of the Napier City Council's corporate business committee, Napier councillors made recommendations to the Remuneration Authority
to increase their own salaries, based on a distribution pool of $503,627 for 2007/08.
This is a $22,637 jump from the pool of $480,990 for 2006/07.
If it goes ahead, Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott will be paid $87,496 per year, a leap of $3410 from her 2006/07 salary of $84,086 per year.
Deputy mayor Kathie Furlong and standing committee chairs will pocket an extra $1989 per year, jumping from $41,058 to $43,047 per year, and councillors will take home an extra $1326 per year, with an increase from $27,372 to $28,698 per year.
In his report, corporate services manager Warren Burch said the Remuneration Authority intends to follow the practice used in 2004 and issue an interim decision to fix salaries to cover the period after the new councils come into office following the 2007 elections.
The salary levels will be set at a conservative level to allow new councils to review committee structures, allocation of responsibilities and adjust to increased or reduced elected members.
Cr Kathie Furlong moved the recommendation, but had some reservations about her and her fellow councillors' salaries being up for scrutiny.
"I believe that we're damned if we do and we're damned if we don't," she said.
"I've got a good enough memory to remember that during my first meeting in the council chamber I had to vote on how we should be paid.
"It still turns up on the agenda and I don't like it.
"Having said that, councillors should not be ashamed of the fact that they get paid.
"Gone are the days when councillors did a couple of meetings outside their own work hours. It's at least a half time job, and it's a job which requires a lot of commitment and covers a lot of different aspects.
"We're jacks of all trades and masters of none," she said.
The matter will come up again at full council on February 28.
