Setting pay for councillors, board members in motion

Waipā District councillors have made a recommendation on how they should be paid for the next three years.

But the independent Remuneration Authority — and not elected members themselves — will ultimately decide how much pay Waipā’s councillors will take home.

At its first ordinary meeting on Tuesday, council accepted a staff recommendation on allocating the $544,506 per year set aside for Waipā’s elected members for the rest of the 2022/23 financial year.

The remuneration pool is set by the Government’s Remuneration Authority which determines pay and allowances for all councils, based on population size and other factors.

At Tuesday’s meeting councillors agreed that those with more responsibilities should be paid more. Council will recommend to the authority that:

● Deputy mayor and committee chair Liz Stolwyk be paid $66,835;

● Committee chairwoman and deputy committee chairwoman Councillor Clare St Pierre be paid $53,075;

● Committee chairman Andrew Brown be paid $51,109;

● Deputy committee chairmen and Community Board members Bruce Thomas and Mike Montgomerie be paid $51,109;

● Councillors appointed to Community Boards Lou Brown and Philip Coles, plus Takena Stirling who has iwi portfolio responsibility be paid $47,177;

● Committee chairman (quarterly committee) Marcus Gower be paid $45,212;

● Deputy committee chairman Mike Pettit be paid $43,246;

● Deputy committee chairman (quarterly committee) Roger Gordon be paid $41,280.

The mayor’s salary, as well as that of community board members, is set independently by a different process and cannot be changed.

For the rest of the financial year, mayor Susan O’Regan will be paid $145,391 per annum.

Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board chair Ange Holt will receive $18,662 per annum with board members paid $9331 each year.

Cambridge board chair Jo DaviesColley will receive $19,327 with board members receiving $9663 per annum.

A determination from the authority is expected before Christmas.