Councillors’ pay packet premiums set to continue
Timaru councillors have recommended continuing a system of salary ‘‘premiums’’ after the removal of Remuneration Authority limits.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to tell the authority it was happy with the current system, where deputy mayor Richard Lyon receives 40 per cent more than ordinary councillors, whose pay is set at $32,400.
Chairmen and chairwomen of council committees receive 24 per cent premiums on their pay, while their deputies receive 5 per cent more than ordinary councillors.
Continuing that system would use up $53,136 of a $66,420 pool of money earmarked for councillors with extra duties.
Councillors would be paid $32,210 a year, deputy committee chairpeople $34,871, committee chairpeople would receive $41,513 and the deputy mayor would be paid $46,494. The mayor’s proposed $115,005 salary for the next financial year would be unaffected by the changes.
All councillors present agreed councillors with extra responsibilities deserved some extra pay.
Councillor Richard Lyon suggested some of the money earmarked for extra duties could be ‘‘kept in place’’ for reallocation for duties involved in the district plan review.
Chief executive Peter Nixon said allocating some of the money at a later date was possible, but it would require the authority’s approval.
Councillors chose not to immediately recommend further extra pay for the chairwoman and deputy chairperson of the resource planning and regulation committee, who were expected to do extra work during the review. The authority is expected to issue a determination on the matter by July 1.
Councillors also voted to set the order of candidate names for October’s local body elections, choosing to have the names printed in random order on each ballot paper. Environment Canterbury and the Geraldine Licensing Trust opted for random ballot orders, but the South Canterbury District Health Board had not yet decided.