Horowhenua mayor and councillors set to enjoy pay rises

Horowhenua’s councillors are in for a pay rise.

The pay of mayor Michael Feyen and councillors is going up, according to latest recommendations from the Remuneration Authority. Feyen receives a $6500 increase for the next year, from $102,992 to $109,494, and deputy mayor Wayne Bishop’s pay will go up from $36,516 to $39,105.

The chairs of the finance, audit and risk committee (independent member Phillip Jones) and hearings committee (Cr Jo Mason) both receive increases from $31,669 to $33,915. Cr Barry Judd (community wellbeing committee chairman) will increase from $28,813 to $30,856 and Cr Neville Gimblett (community funding and recognition committee chairman) from $28,813 to $30,856. Other councillors will receive $27,798, up from $25,957.

Of the other elected leaders in the region, Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith gets $141,592, Tararua mayor Tracey Collis $96,136, Rangitı¯kei mayor Andy Watson $91,447, Manawatu¯ mayor Helen Worboys $106,673 and Horizons Regional Council chairman Bruce Gordon $135,054.

At a council meeting last week, Horowhenua councillor Piri-hira Tukapua proposed pay rates were frozen, but pay is set by the authority, not the council.

Tukapua said she had covered for Feyen more than once and got less than the independent chairman of the finance audit risk committee. The independent chairman can’t be paid the same as an elected member.

Tukapua said she didn’t appreciate the mayor ‘‘missing in action too often’’.

‘‘You appointed five chairpersons. All men. The only reason why Jo Mason gets to be a chair is because her and I were the ones qualified with [Resource Management Act] standards at the time, otherwise we probably wouldn’t have got a chair role.

‘‘So that’s how I feel – how you’ve set this structure and these appointments in place. That’s not fair, so that is why I want to freeze the remuneration, so you don’t get another $6000 and I’m happy to keep my $25,000 or whatever it is there.’’

Judd said when he started 15 years ago, he suggested they didn’t take a pay rise because the community wasn’t doing well.

‘‘My understanding at that point was this is set by the Remuneration Authority and we cannot do that. Some councillors then used to donate [the extra money] to the community.’’

Cr Wayne Bishop queried what happens with pay when a mayor takes a leave of absence.

Chief executive David Clapperton said the council didn’t have a specific policy about paying or not paying council members on leave.

Feyen confirmed the role of a mayor was fulltime.