Fletcher without top role after rejecting rates job

Christine Fletcher. Photo / Dean Purcell

Citizens & Ratepayers co-leader Christine Fletcher has turned down an offer from Super City mayor-elect Len Brown of a job chairing a ratings subcommittee.

Mrs Fletcher disagrees with Mr Brown about the need for such a subcommittee.

She said she could not see how rating issues could be separated from the strategy and finance committee on which all councillors have input.

Her rejection has left her without a leadership role on the council, although Mr Brown has appointed her and Mike Lee as the two Auckland Council directors on the board of the mega-transport council-controlled organisation.

Mr Brown said he had talked to Mrs Fletcher, a former National Government minister and Auckland City Mayor, about a senior role in addition to her transport responsibility.

The mayor-elect said there was a "little bit more work to be done in terms to Christine ... and we just haven't concluded that [a second role] at this point in time".

"I'm completely relaxed about the discussions I'm having with all the councillors, including Christine. I think there has been a very strong buy-in to the structure thus far," he said.

As leader of the right-leaning C&R ticket, Mrs Fletcher has pledged caucus support to "try to work collaboratively" with the left-leaning Mr Brown and "offer support where this serves the interests of the people of Auckland".

Mr Brown has given minor chairing roles to the four other C&R councillors - former North Shore Mayor George Wood (community safety forum), Des Morrison (regulatory and bylaws committee and rural advisory panel), Jami-Lee Ross (tenders and procurement panel) and Noelene Raffills (hearings committee).