Mr Brown yesterday said the committee believed the change was appropriate because Mr McKay was the only employee on a bonus package.
Asked if Mr McKay should have some "at risk" component to his pay package as the only officer directly employed by the council, Mr Brown said the package was inherited from the agency that set up the Super City.
"When it's combined, given the size and complexity of managing the merger, [he] is receiving less than the chief executive of a similar-sized private-sector company," Mr Brown said.
Mr McKay described the change as "a conversion of a variable part of my income to a fixed part of my income".
State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie said a main feature of public-sector chief executive pay policy was a performance-related component.
A spokeswoman for Mr Rennie said public sector chief executives should have an "at risk" component of about 15 per cent and for chairs of Crown entities about 10 per cent to 20 per cent.
Mr Rennie is not responsible for the salaries of council chief executives.
Rise and rise
* $675,000 and $75,000 incentive bonus - salary package for Doug McKay when Super City comes into being.
* $750,000 - new salary when base salary and incentive bonus are rolled into one.
* $768,750 - new salary plus 2.5 per cent pay rise.
* $839,106 - new salary/incentive bonus rolled in/2.5 per cent pay rise/bonus for helping set up Super City.
