Letters: Debate around councillors' payrises

Rotorua Lakes Council building. Photo / File

The recent debate around the council table about the level of pay elected members receive is a great example of why fewer people care about local politics these days.

The level of pay councillors receive affects no one but the councillors themselves, it wouldn't matter if they were each on a million dollars a year, if they are ineffective at holding council staff to account on delivering their work programme on behalf of Rotorua residents, then it would still be Rotorua that loses out.

The added fact that the level of pay is determined by an independent external organisation called the Remuneration Authority, and councillors have nothing to do with the level of pay shows, even more, why the debate was pointless, other than to grandstand by pretending
to do something of worth.

Please, I ask of councillors that they get on with matters that actually affect the people of this city that they are elected to represent, get on with addressing housing issues, sorting our transport issues, debate ways to improve our CBD and wider city etc. Because I'm sure I'm not alone in growing very tired of self-interested councillors who would rather debate issues that only impact themselves, as opposed to the rest of us.

And if some councillors are really going to take a principled stance on this, I'm sure there are a few local charities that would gladly accept a $55,000 donation for each year they're in office.

Ryan Gray
Rotorua

Councillors should be ashamed

I am amazed and appalled at the salary increases the Rotorua Council has given themselves with mayoral approval.

I do not believe that they had no choice in accepting these large raises.

The money set aside for wages could have been used for badly needed new infrastructure.

This is just greed, in my view, and I hope that the councillors are ashamed of themselves for this blatant disregard for ratepayers who are struggling to keep up with council cost increases put upon them.

The raises in salaries could have been kept to the cost of living index. (Abridged)

Leo Pol
Hamurana

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