3.7% pay rise for Ashbuton’s mayor and councillors
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton’s mayor and councillors will receive an average 3.7% pay increase from July 1.
The mayor’s pay packet is set to increase by $4910 after the Remuneration Authority this week determined that mayors and councillors across the country will receive an average pay rise of 3.7% from July 1.
Local government pay is set by the independent body, which dictates the mayor and deputy salaries and the councillor remuneration pools that are funded by rates. Each council determines how that pool is distributed.
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown’s salary will increase from $132,690 to $137,600, which equates to $2646 per week or a $66 an-hour wage for a 40-hour week.
Brown said it is a full-time job that has no set hours - and wherever he goes he is the mayor.
“You are always the mayor, you are on 24 hours, seven days a week.
“You may not be working but you are always on call.”
The other mayor Brown, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, is the top-paid mayor with a $306,952 a year salary ($147.50 an hour) and the lowest rate for any Auckland councillor was $111,782.
Ashburton’s deputy mayor Liz McMillan’s salary increases from $80,003 to $82,963.
Ashburton has usually opted to have the eight councillors on the same salary, evenly dividing the remuneration pool.
Their salary will increase from $46,274 to $47,986 – which works out to $23 per hour.
First-term councillor Richard Wilson said the pay rise was outside of council control, but an increased rate encouraged more people to stand for council.
“I don’t do the job for the money, I do it for the community.
“And I am fortunate I can afford to because my company can continue without me being there, but some others may not be in that position.”
Councillors don't work 40 hours in a regular week in Ashburton, but they do a lot more than just attend a council meeting every fortnight, he said.
Remuneration Authority chairperson Geoff Summers said the authority devised a sizing system for councils' remuneration after a full review in 2018 that considers four factors: population, total assets, total expenditure and socioeconomic deprivation.
We're talking new year resolutions...
Tidying the house before going to bed each night, meditating upon waking or taking the stairs at work.
What’s something quick, or easy, that you started doing that made a major positive change in your life?
⚠️ 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 ❤️
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!