Staff chip in to get mayor’s tattoo gift

After decades of public service, Wellington’s retiring mayor knew just the gift she wanted. But her desired gecko tattoo was deemed too unconventional by the Wellington City Council, so ratepayers stumped up for a park bench for Celia Wadebrown.

She did, though, get her tattoo, on her lower leg, which she proudly displayed on Facebook with the message: ’’Lovely gift from individual staff clubbing together after it was agreed ‘a tattoo’ was a bit too unconventional an answer to ‘what would you like as a leaving gift from council?’.

‘‘A park bench all can enjoy was a more appropriate civic decision in the end.’’

The bench had not yet been installed but would probably be on Wellington’s South Coast, council spokesman Richard Maclean said.

The gecko, and its proud owner, are in the South Island, walking Te Araroa track.

‘‘Gecko walking well,’’ posted Wade-brown, who spent more than 20 years on the council, including six as mayor.

From Wanaka, where she is taking a break from the walk, she said the idea of a tattoo ‘‘just came to me’’ when asked what she would like as a parting gift.

‘‘My son did a lovely design and I thought, ‘That would be nice’. It’s always been in the back of my mind.’’

But she admitted that she knew when she suggested the idea that it might not be the most suitable civic gift.

‘‘I’m perfectly happy with a park bench.’’

Despite ratepayers not funding the tattoo, Wade-brown’s request was enough to attract the attention of Taxpayers’ Union executive director Jordan Williams.

‘‘Ratepayer-funded body art is perhaps the most unusual spending request we have ever come across. Well done to the person in the council who had the nous to say no,’’ Williams said. – Fairfax NZ