On a good wicket

Council staff out-earning mayor

inst agram:@gc bulletin EIGHT council executives are paid more than Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, council data reveals.

In the 2016-17 financial year, Cr Tate earned $266,106, including 12 per cent superannuation, as part of a total councillor wage bill of $2.5 million.

The council’s annual report for the 2016-17 financial year reveals chief executive Dale Dickson is paid between $500,000 and 600,000, up from the $350,000 to 360,000 he earned five years earlier.

Another seven executives were paid $300,000 to $400,000, including chief operating officer Joe McCabe, infrastructure director Alton Twine, community services director Alison Ewens and organisational services director Glen Potter.

Cr Tate said the money spent on executive pay would drop in the following financial year after the departure of economic director Darren Scott and planning director Dyan Currie, whose roles were expected to be merged.

“It was always my intention to restructure the organisation and do it the right way and this now means the executives at the top level will have to work across multiple disciplines,” he said.

“It’s like being on a rowing team and when everyone is putting their backs in it the boat goes a lot faster.

“My attitude now is that there are no passengers on this ship at the executive level.” Cr Tate said executive bonuses had also been scrapped.

Former mayor Ron Clarke was on $149,000 a year late in his reign. More than 30 staff were on at least $140,000 at that time.

The 2016-17 report also shows the city’s 15 councillors charged $102,846 in expenses to ratepayers, including more than $22,000 for mobile phones.

The most frugal councillors were Helensvale’s William Owen-Jones and Carrara’s Bob La Castra, who spent $1409 and $1620 respectively.

The highest spenders were Mudgeeraba’s Glenn Tozer, Labrador’s Kristyn Boulton and Cr Tate, who spend $12,598, $11,081 and $10,369 respectively.