Pay rise for council heads in October

Press, 12 August 1980, Page 1

Pay rise for council heads in October

Canterbury local body leaders will get a big pay boost after the October . local body elections, if their councils agree. Pay rises announced by the Government yesterday would mean an increase of about 30 per cent for mayors, county chairmen, and chairmen of district councils.

The maximum allowances will come into, effect on October 12, the day after the elections.-

The Mayor of Christchurch will be. eligible for a yearly allowance • of $23,500, up from SIB,OOQ, along with the mayors of Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.

In Waimairi County, the chairman’s maximum annual allowance will go from $14,650 to $19,250. The maximum in Paparua

County will rise from $10,650 to $13,900. Councils are not obliged to pay the maximum, amount, although many do. The Christchurch City Council has traditionally paid the maximum for the mayor and councillors. The Minister of Interna! Affairs (Mr Highet) announced the rises yesterday. He said the daily fees for attendance at meetings by councillors had been increased almost 31 per cent. Similar adjustments had been made in payments to committee chairmen.

In Lyttelton, the maximum mayoral allowance will rise from $3350 to $4400. In Riccarton Borough, and Heathcote County, the maximum allowance for top leaders will rise from $5OOO to $6550.