Councillors to discuss proposed pay rises
Gore district mayor Tracy Hicks’ salary will be $98,500 during the next three years, up from $87,952 during his last term of office.
The district’s councillors will discuss their own remuneration at a council meeting tonight.
The Remuneration Authority has set a governance remuneration pool of $286,429 to pay councillors for the next three years.
The mayoral salary has been set at $98,500, which is excluded from the total pool. It is set by the authority.
The agenda says now that the council has taken office after this year’s local body elections, it is invited to give the authority recommendations for how its pool should be distributed among the council members.
Recommendations include a base rate for councillor remuneration and rates for all positions of responsibility such as committee chairs. The authority will then consider the councils’ recommendations before determining the remuneration payable.
A minimum base salary for a councillor is set at $18,477, but the agenda shows the proposed councillor base remuneration is $23,000
Audit and risk committee chair Bret Highsted, capital works committee chair Cliff Bolger and community and strategy committee chair Richard McPhail would be paid a further $7000 each, for a total of $30,000.
During the last term, the finance chair was paid $26,980 and three portfolio leaders were paid $23,968.
Deputy mayor Bronwyn Reid would receive a further $12,429, to make her salary $35,429.
Previously, the deputy mayor was paid $26,980, and councillors with no extra responsibilities $19,449
There has been no change to the remuneration for Mataura Community Board members, which remains at $4122 for the chairman and $2081 for members.