Off the team
Councillors have been roundly criticised in the media and on facebook for the handling of Cr Barrie Herlihy’s remuneration after his sad passing.
Not one of us ever wanted to be in the position we found ourselves in, of discussing the redistribution of his remuneration. We would all have preferred Cr Herlihy to be at the table. He was doing a good job.
To set the record straight every councillor including Cr Corban voted not to replace Cr Herlihy’s position as it was within a year of the next election and we felt that it would be unfair to bring in someone new who was not up to speed with the proposed district plan, budget and annual plan which are the main discussion themes from now until 2013.
By doing that, every councillor, including Cr Corban, knew that the salary that Cr Herlihy had been receiving could not legally be used for anything else other than salaries. She knew that she would be receiving it and she could not refuse it. She knew, as did the rest of us that we could, if we wanted to, donate it personally to wherever and to whomever we wanted to. That was discussed at the meeting but Cr Corban refused to do that.
Salaries of all elected members in New Zealand are managed by the Remuneration Authority in Wellington. Although we knew the outcome, council sought advice after Cr Corban’s stance and we received an email back from Angela Foulkes of the Remuneration Authority confirming that ‘‘the councillor who wishes to decline the increase cannot legally do so. The councillor would obviously have the right to donate the increase (after tax) either to the local authority or to a charity of their personal choosing’’.
Cr Corban is aware of this. She instead chose her very public course of action which she will not be following through on.
Cr Corban has chosen to remove herself from the rest of the team at council. No, she doesn’t come in for lunch, she chooses to go and sit in her car at the back of the council. She has been doing this for only the last six months and has been on the council for eight years.