Some mayors get pay rises of up to 4%

Some mayors are getting pay rises of up to 4 percent this year, while others have opted for council cars rather than allowances.

Some mayors have opted for council cars rather than allowances. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

Radio New Zealand has obtained a copy of the latest Remuneration Authority determination on pay rates for local government officials for the 2014/15 year, excluding Auckland and Christchurch.

Salaries of more than $100,000 paid to the mayors of Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellington, Ashburton and Queenstown Lakes will rise by between 3.5 and 4 percent.

The others average about 3 percent.

That's despite wages generally growing by just 1.7 percent in the year to June, according to the Labour Cost Index.

At least three mayors have had their pay cut by up to 2 percent after opting to drive council-owned cars and no longer claim mileage for work-related travel.

The Remuneration Authority says it takes into account general wage inflation, population changes, council expenses, and the mayor's workload when setting salaries.

Regional Councils

• Hawke's Bay Chair: 2014 -106,775, 2013 - 106,449 = 0.3 percent
• Southland Chair: 2014 - 90,284, 2013 - 87,342 = 3.4 percent
• Wellington Chair: 2014 - 144,203, 2013 - 152,859 = -5.7 percent

Territorial Authorities

• Ashburton District Council Mayor: 2014 - 95,450, 2013 - 92,450 = 3.3 percent
• Central Hawke's Bay District Council: 2014 - 78,000, 2013 - 75,950 = 2.7 percent
• Hamilton City Council Mayor: 2014 - 146,771, 2013 - 145,800 = 0.7 percent
• Hastings District Council Mayor: 2014 - 120,731, 2013 - 121,950 down due to car = 0.9 percent
• Horowhenua District Council Mayor: 2014 - 93,850, 2013 - 91,050 = 3 percent
• Hutt City Council Mayor: 2014 - 132,003, 2013 - 127,853 = 3.2 percent
• Invercargill City Council Mayor: 2014 - 107,522, 2013 - 109,550 down due to car = 1.9 percent
• Kapiti Coast District Council Mayor: 2014 - 103,878, 2013 - 102,541 - down due to car = 1.3 percent
• Napier City Council Mayor: 2014 - 117,076, 2013 - 114,350 = 2.4 percent
• New Plymouth District Council Mayor: 2014 - 130,350, 2013 - 126,400 = 3.1 percent
• Porirua City Council Mayor: 2014 - 109,432, 2013 - 109,900 down due to car = 0.4 percent, always paid component to have use of car.
• Queenstown Lakes District Council Mayor: 2014 - 106,850, 2013 - 102850 = 3.9 percent
• Rotorua Mayor: 2014 - 120,512, 2013 - 116,220 = 3.7 percent
• Tauranga Mayor: 2014 - 143,500, 2013 - 138,600 - 3.5 percent
• Upper Hutt City Council Mayor: 2014 - 101750, 2013 - 98550 = 3.24 percent
• Waikato District Council Mayor: 2014 - 119,450, 2013 - 115750 = 3.1 percent
• Wellington City Council Mayor: 2014 - 163,700, 2013 - 158,300 = 3.4 percent
• Whangarei District Council Mayor: 2014 - 130,780, 2013 - 127,600 = 2.5 percent