MDC pay rise vote kept secret

Councillors Simon O'Donoghue, Mark Harris, Jonathan Hooker, Pip Hannon, Doug Bracewell and Graeme McClymont kept secret their votes on a pay rise for MDC chief executive Pim Borren. FILE PHOTO

Only four Masterton district councillors would categorically state which way they had voted on a $25,000 salary increase for chief executive Pim Borren when approached in the immediate aftermath of a special meeting held yesterday, partly to discuss transparency.

This was despite Mayor Lyn Patterson saying during the course of the meeting that she was comfortable with individual councillors disclosing to the media which way they had voted, if they wished to do so.

The 11.9 per cent salary increase councillors awarded to Mr Borren was done at a closed council meeting on August 5 and brought his annual salary up to $235,000.

In light of Mrs Patterson's remarks yesterday, all councillors were polled on their vote bar Mark Harris but only Gary Caffell, David Holmes, Brent Goodwin and Chris Peterson would confirm their vote with the first three named being against the pay increase and Mr Peterson in favour.

The others - Simon O'Donoghue, Jonathan Hooker, Pip Hannon, Doug Bracewell and Graeme McClymont - would not comment, although, when asked last month, Mr McClymont had indicated he had voted for the salary increase.