KEY POINTS:
First, they scrapped their free lunch and now they are turning their noses up at a pay rise offer.
North Shore City Council members this week resolved to tell the Remuneration Authority to freeze the pool from which they draw their salaries.
The authority indicated the pool for the coming year could lift by 2 per cent, about $26,000 more than the present $1.28 million that is shared by the city's 40 elected officials, including the mayor.
But any rise is "inappropriate" in tough economic times, said strategy & finance chairman Grant Gillon, who was a ringleader in this month's move to make councillors pay $25 a week if they wanted lunch provided on the job.
This was aimed at saving $40,000 a year. Mr Gillon said councillors were advised they could not tell the authority they would not accept a pay rise. But they were able to ask the authority not to grant this year's one.
"It's convoluted but this is the way to go," said Mr Gillon.
The council will today vote on whether to seek ratepayers' approval for an average 5.9 per cent rates rise for the coming year. This will lift the average household rates bill to $1929.
"So why get a pay rise when we are asking everybody else to make cuts? We should lead from the front," said Mr Gillon.
The authority determines Mayor Andrew Williams' new salary at $151,016 a year - up from $147,084 or 2.68 per cent. The rest of the indicative pool - the part that the council wants frozen - is to be shared among the deputy mayor, committee heads, councillors and community board members. A councillor currently gets $57,435 and committee chairs $70,126.
The authority has asked for the council's recommendations for distribution of the indicative pool.
