$209,730 redundancy, then the job continues

Theresa Stratton. Photo / Supplied

Former Papakura District Council chief executive Theresa Stratton has started work in Mayor Len Brown's office weeks after receiving a redundancy payment of $209,730.

It is understood Ms Stratton has been able to keep the money because of an employment technicality.

She has gone from a full-time position in her old job to a three-year fixed-term contract as a senior planning adviser in the mayor's office.

Her new contract does not have provision for redundancy.

Her appointment follows revelations that more people with close ties to Mr Brown are to be appointed to the boards of council-controlled organisations today.

Richard Jeffrey and Pauline Winter, both members of Mr Brown's mayoral campaign, will be paid $35,000 a year as directors of the Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development and Auckland Council Investments CCOs respectively.

Former Labour Party president Mike Williams - Mr Brown is a Labour Party member - and former Papakura Mayor John Robertson will make $52,500 and $35,000 a year as board directors of the Auckland Transport and Regional Facilities CCOs.

Last week, it was revealed that Mr Brown's former chief executive at Manukau City Council, Leigh Auton, and former Manukau deputy mayor, Gary Troup, would be appointed to the property and regional facilities CCOs boards respectively.

They will each be paid $35,000 a year.

Mr Brown has refused to say anything about why he is putting so many close political allies forward for jobs at today's CCO strategy and appointments subcommittee and whether Ms Stratton should pay back her redundancy.

When the council advertised for 15 CCO board members in addition to the 29 mostly businesspeople appointed by Local Government Minister Rodney Hide for six CCOs, Mr Brown said he wanted people with "strong links back to the community".

All those who applied for CCO jobs were shortlisted by a recruitment specialist, Sheffield, before being whittled down to a final list of 15 names by Mr Brown and council chief executive Doug McKay.

Mr Brown's chief of staff, Phil Wilson, said Ms Stratton's fixed term contract as senior adviser for long-term planning and CCO governance was private and confidential.

She started work last Monday.

Her contractual arrangements with Papakura District Council were outlined in a report by the Auditor-General on payments to chief executives of the former councils, he said.

The report said Ms Stratton was paid $209,730 made up of redundancy of $105,628 and payment in lieu of notice of $104,102.

"My only comment on that matter is that her recruitment and employment are in keeping with best practice in this area and follows the letter of the law," Mr Wilson said.

Mr McKay said the mayor's office was independent of the Auckland Council and hired its own staff based on employment advice he had provided to Mr Wilson.

Mr McKay said when it came to the Auckland Council anyone hired for a fulltime position after being made redundant from one of the previous councils would have to refund their redundancy.

Two people had been hired back and repaid their redundancy, he said.

Mr McKay said someone coming back on a fixed term contract would probably be different because it was not ongoing employment where they were entitled to another redundancy payment.

Ms Stratton could not be reached for comment.