Remuneration Authority confirms councillor salary increases in Ashburton
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Nominations for the local government elections open soon and a salary increase may get new faces putting their hands up in the Ashburton District.
The Remuneration Authority has confirmed the increased pool for councillor salaries which will see a jump from $41,214 closer to $50,000 for the next term.
The authority is the independent body that dictates the elected councillor’s salaries.
The council only has a say in how it is distributed.
The current Ashburton District Council opted to have the eight councillors on the same salary, which as of July 1 rose slightly to $41,214, and the deputy mayor on a higher salary, $59,182, due to the extra responsibilities.
The remuneration pool doesn’t apply to the mayor.
Councillor Angus McKay, who is yet to confirm his intentions for the upcoming election, said he hoped the next council would take a similar approach to allocating the pool.
“In my opinion this council has worked very well and one of the reasons I put that down to is the people sitting around the room and the other is that this council did away with the hierarchy of committees.
“I’m hopeful the new council will do the same.
“We have all been on equal pay, equal footing, and I think that’s what made this council work very, very well.”
Following the elections in October, the remuneration pool will increase $61,302 from $388,893 to $450,195.
The newly elected council decide what structure the division of the pool takes, with options to pay positions of extra responsibility more, such as the deputy mayor.
The Remuneration Authority has also confirmed the mayor’s salary of $123,201 will increase to $132,690 after the election.
There is no change to the Methven Community Board remuneration, with the chair still set to receive $5,544 and $2,777 to each of the other four members.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
-
62.3% Summer
-
36.3% Winter
-
1.4% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Loading…
