Board rejects pay rise for extra work

Vanessa Neeson. Photo / Supplied

An Auckland Council local board has refused a share of a $280,000 salary boost for extra work, saying it's not right for politicians to decide who among them should get pay rises.

In June the Remuneration Authority set salaries for 149 members of the 21 boards as part of a $5.65 million pool.

Soon after the boards began work on November 1, the authority said if the pay scale turned out to be on the light side it would put things right.

It invited boards' proposals for remuneration to recognise extra responsibilities taken on by deputy chairmen and committee heads.

But Henderson-Massey Local Board has resisted a rise, though it equates to $2000 for each of the seven members.

"We decided it would be erroneous for us to decide who gets what," said chairman Vanessa Neeson.

"Fancy the authority deciding on a pay level for the chairman and board members but nothing for a deputy ... It's putting us in a dreadful position."

At the Upper Harbour Board her husband Brian is similarly aghast at an independent government authority inviting politicians to meddle with pay.

"We think it should be allocated to the deputy as the only member who we think has extra work," said Mr Neeson, who is the board's chairman.

"But we should not have to do that - because it's not the politicians' job to decide what is their money."

Kaipatiki Local Board proposes to allocate its deputy $4000 of its extra $16,000, with the rest going to five members who accepted portfolios.

Chairman Lindsay Waugh said they would earn their money.

"There is an awful lot to come to grips with."

The Remuneration Authority was unavailable for comment.