Councillor pay rise 'a legal obligation'

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai

Whangarei district councillors can oppose their impending pay rise "to their heart's content" - they will be getting it anyway, says the authority responsible for setting council pay rates.

It was revealed in the Northern Advocate last week that Whangarei district councillors would receive a pay rise of 4.9 per cent this year, with the mayor getting a 3 per cent raise.

It prompted Mayor Sheryl Mai to say she was embarrassed at the rise.

Remuneration Authority deputy chairwoman Angela Foulkes said a 2013 policy change meant the mayor and councillors could not vote to reject the pay rise.

Councillor Brian McLachlan contacted the Advocate following a story about the increases and recalled a time in 2010 when, under Stan Semenoff's mayoralty, councillors voted to reject a proposed 7.2 per cent pay rise.

He argued it should be possible to do the same this year, though Ms Foulkes said it was not.

"They can contest to their heart's content but it's very clear that the Remuneration Authority issues its determination, which has the effect of a statute - it becomes a legal obligation [to accept]," she said. "They can, like anyone, once they've got that money, donate it back to the council or the dogs' home or something dear to their heart."

The authority set the pay for the mayor and general councillors and gave a pool of money to additionally remunerate those with extra responsibilities - the deputy mayor and committee chairs. It used a formula which took into account councillor job size, the area's population and council expenditure.

The authority set the pay across the country for key office holders such as judges, members of Parliament and local government representatives.

WDC committee chairs, along with deputy mayor Sharon Morgan, would be paid $58,500 in the 2015/16 financial year, up 4.9 per cent on last year's $55,750. Other councillors would also receive a 4.9 per cent raise, taking them from $44,600 to $46,800. Mayor Mai would get an additional $4050, taking her salary from $130,780 to $134,830.

The mayor said she felt "embarrassed" by the rise and was concerned how it would be perceived. "It's not as though we have a performance review," Ms Mai said.