Free meals may be scrapped from menu

Change is on the menu after an embarrassing few weeks for Hutt City councillors.

The council received a roasting after it was revealed in June that councillors were getting free meals, costing about $16,000 a year.

Last night, councillors were to debate a recommendation to end free meals and get rid of the expensive code of conduct process.

The issue of free meals came to a head in June when councillor Campbell Barry incensed some colleagues when he contrasted their reluctance to pay council staff a fair wage with their willingness to accept free meals.

His comments resulted in a code of conduct charge, which went to a lawyer, at a cost of $6687 plus GST, but was not upheld.

A motion to end free meals for politicians was lost by one vote, with mayor Ray Wallace voting to retain free meals. But now, in a one-page memo to councillors, Wallace said the time had come to end free meals.

Last night’s meeting was also to debate a recommendation to alter the council’s code of conduct, which has been in the spotlight after a $30,000 legal bill for four recent complaints was revealed.

A change to the code after the October election resulted in all complaints automatically going to an outside lawyer.

A report said such costs were unacceptable and a better system had to be found. Under the proposed method, complaints would first go to the mayor. If he could not resolve them, outside help would be called in.