Councillors vote down pay review

Mayor Sheryl Mai

Embarrassment at the size of this year's pay rise has not been enough to compel Whangarei District Councillors to request a review into how their salaries are calculated.

Yesterday, 11 of Whangarei's 14 district councillors voted against a motion from Councillor Brian McLachlan to "request the Minister of Local Government implement a new approach to the setting of remuneration for elected members".

Councillors have received a pay rise, backdated to July 1, of almost 5 per cent, with the mayor getting a 3 per cent raise.

National wage growth was 1.7 per cent between March 2014 and March 2015, according to the most recent Statistics New Zealand data available.

In the days following the increase, Mayor Sheryl Mai said she was "embarrassed" by her pay rise and anxious how the salaries, set by the independent Remuneration Authority, would be perceived by ratepayers in a year council had announced an average rates increase of 9 per cent.

However, the mayor was among those who voted against Mr McLachlan's motion, with other councillors accusing him of political grandstanding. Only councillors Phil Halse and Shelley Deeming supported him.

Cr Greg Martin said the move was "self promotion", while others said the motion was too general.

The mayor could not be reached yesterday to elaborate on why she had voted against the motion. In the chamber yesterday, she thanked Mr McLachlan for bringing up the matter but said the authority would already have considered every option on how to set pay rates.

Mr McLachlan said he simply wanted to start a conversation. Councillors' salaries were calculated using a formula that took into account job size, the area's population and council expenditure. He said there were other options " pay could be tied to the percentage increase in the district's average household income or to the Consumer Price Index.

"I'm asking a simple question. Whether we are happy with the current system or whether we want a change," he said.

Local Government New Zealand president Lawrence Yule said pay rates were going up because councillors' jobs were becoming increasingly complex.

"Councillors don't like big increases, I get that. But equally, when the job is getting more and more complex, the authority is reflecting that."

Committee chairs along with with the deputy mayor would receive $58,500 in the 2015/16 financial year, up 4.9 per cent. Other councillors received a 4.9 per cent raise to $46,800. Mayor Mai got an additional $4050, from $130,780 to $134,830.