Council meeting fees to rise

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 1

Council meeting fees to rise

Wellington reporter New levels of remuneration for elected members of territorial regional and local authorities have been announced by the Government. The Minister of Local Government, Dr Bassett, said it had not been easy. It was difficult to make any significant changes to the present basis for setting remuneration because of the 10 per cent restriction applying to mayors and chairmen under the jurisdiction of the Higher Salaries Commission. But a scale of annual allowances for ordinary councillors had been approved on top of the present fees for meetings, he said. New annual allowances for councillors ranged from a maximum of $4500 for councillors in districts with a population of more than 100,000 and in the Auckland Regional Authority to $lOOO for councillors in districts with populations of less than 10,000. The previous limit on the number of meetings a year for which councillors could be paid had been removed, Dr Bassett said. A similar combination of annual allowances and a meeting fee had been approved for committee chairmen, deputy mayors and deputy chairmen, but with an extra allowance to recognise the extra responsibility involved, he said. This would remove the anomaly for councillors now holding these positions. All rates were effective as from December 1, 1986.