Saturday, May 29, 2010
Why I didn't support a payrise for councillors
In light of the current climate of cost cutting – in fact we’re cutting 17 million from the 2010/2011 budget – I personally just couldn’t justify giving councillors and the mayor a pay rise. It was argued that we are paid a paltry amount anyway of just over 19K a year and this rise amounted to only $600 pa, however it’s not a good look to be giving ourselves a payrise when we are asking everyone else to tighten their collective belt! Council is increasing fees and cutting services; we will cut some 40 staff through natural attrition over the coming year so how can we possibly rationalise giving ourselves more money. It’s not that councillors don’t deserve a payrise, on the contrary! If a living wage was being suggested and that meant I could put my teaching career on hold to devote myself full time to being a councillor then I would support it. However, this raise is tokenistic and while it is miniscule, it sends a message to the community that council can find the money when it needs to fund councillors payments but can’t provide the full range of services/staffing etc! Only Cr. Hannah Gissane (Greens) and myself voted to not receive the increase and I know this hasn’t done anything to increase our popularity with our colleagues, but I guess where not there to make friends! Interestingly, Cr Barry Johnston approached me after the meeting and said that whilst he supported my stance and held similar beliefs, he couldn’t vote with us because he has been told that it appears to be grandstanding! I deny that I had any agenda other than my personal conviction that a payrise could not be justified at the moment.
