Outgoing CEO on Super City pay until end of year

David Rankin. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Super City will set up shop a month from today with not one but two chief executives.

The official chief executive, Doug McKay, will arrive at work on a salary of $675,000 and Auckland City Council chief executive David Rankin will be clocking in on his salary of $453,000 until the end of the year.

In an unusual move, the agency designing the Super City has put Mr Rankin on the Super City payroll but has not given him anything to do.

Nor is it clear who will occupy the executive suite on the 13th floor of the Civic Building - Mr Rankin or Mr McKay.

Mr Rankin's mystery role is the result of some fancy footwork by Auckland City to hold on to him after his contract expired on June 30.

Fearing the city would be rudderless after Mr Rankin missed out on the top Super City job, councillors offered him a sweetener of a $50,000 pre-tax bonus and extending his contract until December 31, worth another $75,500.

Auckland City Deputy Mayor David Hay said Mark Ford, who heads the Auckland Transition agency, approved the deal and offered to employ Mr Rankin for two months.

The agency is giving 1223 council staff their marching orders and making 650 of these workers redundant.

Last night, Mr Rankin said: "What happens from the 31st of October when my current role disappears is something that has not yet been finalised."

A spokesman for the agency, when asked what Mr Rankin's role would be at the Super City, did not know what Mr Ford had in mind when he signed ratepayers up to the additional cost.

"That would be an issue for the Auckland Council."