$94,500 the price of trying to dump city CEO

By BERNARD ORSMAN

A bid by a group of Auckland City councillors to dump chief executive Bryan Taylor has backfired at a cost of $94,500 to ratepayers.

The hefty bill for reappointing Mr Taylor to his own job was revealed in previously secret accounts obtained by the Herald yesterday under the Official Information Act.

A group of three councillors - Mayor Christine Fletcher, Victoria Carter and Jon Olsen - led a protracted and costly revolt to dump Mr Taylor, whom they saw as too closely aligned with the old Britomart project and former mayor Les Mills.

"The council had to spend the money to find the right person. I just don't think we appointed the right person. Bryan Taylor is linked with past policies that are now out of date," said Mr Olsen.

Mrs Fletcher, who three times last month refused to say if she had confidence in Mr Taylor, defended the cost of reappointing him.

She said the job of chief executive was the only position appointed by the council and carried a responsibility for 1700 staff.

The $39,000 cost of hiring Cambridge Consulting Services to help find the right person for the job was the lowest of three quotes, she said.

Advertising costs ran to $27,606, travel and accommodation $14,681, legal fees $4885, catering $1140 and the cost of two special council meetings to consider the reappointment was $7220.

Employment industry sources said the placement fee for a recruitment campaign for senior executives using advertising was about 20 per cent of the total salary package, which would make the cost of hiring Mr Taylor about $64,000.

Last month, the Herald revealed that Mr Taylor received an early, $112,500 golden handshake, even though he was not saying goodbye.

Councillors acted on legal advice, which said the bonus was due on the termination of his present contract.

Despite the attempts to torpedo Mr Taylor, councillors voted 10-6 last month to give him a new four-year contract. There were four other candidates, including one from Australia.

Mr Taylor's new salary package of $319,999 includes a base salary of $239,395, allowances for superannuation ($35,909), a motor vehicle ($17,397), medical insurance for himself and his wife ($3359) and a potential bonus worth 10 per cent of his base salary ($23,939).

Mr Taylor has refused to discuss the reappointment process.

The tussle to reappoint Mr Taylor when his five-year contract expires in July came about because of a Local Government Act clause, which says councils must advertise the job at the end of the contract term.

In contrast, the Auckland Regional Council spent $400 reappointing its CEO, Jo Brosnahan.

The ARC placed a single advertisement in the jobs column of the Herald on Boxing Day, making it abundantly clear it was more than satisfied with the performance of Jo Brosnahan and that she was expected to apply for a second term in the $212,715-a-year job.