New CEO receives $210k package

APPOINTED: Pim Borren, the new chief executive for Masterton District Council.

The new chief executive for Masterton District Council Pim Borren is to receive a salary package of $210,000 a year, $16,587 more than outgoing chief executive Wes ten Hove.

This was confirmed yesterday by Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson who said the salary package was based on the Local Government Commission's guidelines for districts of Masterton's size and "even then it is at the lower to medium end of the scale".

It was nowhere near the top end and just showed how low Mr ten Hove's salary package of $193,413 last year had been, Mrs Patterson said.

Apart from the salary package Mr Borren, 52, would be paid a one-off payment of up to $10,000 to relocate his family from Christchurch to Masterton.

The decision to appoint Mr Borren was made by council in late March despite Mr ten Hove re-applying for the job he has held for 17 years.

Mr Borren's term will be for two years - the duration heavily influenced by the fact no final decision on the future governance of Wairarapa has been made.

With the prospect of a Wairarapa Unitary Authority looming, Mrs Patterson said council had not been wanting to sign up a chief executive "for five years and then have ratepayers having to pay him out".

Mr Borren will be arriving to take up the job from May 26 working alongside Mr ten Hove for a transitional period before Mr ten Hove leaves at the end of May.

Mr ten Hove's contract actually expires at the end of June but he has negotiated to leave earlier.