Friday, March 23, 2012

Government moves to stop local council rates and 'chief executive' pay hikes

The Kapital Coast's useless boss Mr Pat Dougherty (left) now gets paid more than the British Prime Minister. Both he and Mayor Rowan (right) should go.
The last major move by Nick Smith as Minister of Local Government last week, and one which we are pleased about, was to limit increases in local council rates (property taxes) to the rate of inflation, and likewise limit pay rises given by councils to their top servants.   It follows widespread hostility to the huge increases given late last year to the bosses of the Kapiti Coast (see earlier post) and Christchurch City.

The Christchurch boss subsequently announced he wouldn't be taking it, but the boss of our Kapiti Coast has made no such announcement.

The base pay before before perks he is now on - $NZ 285,000 - is more than that of British Prime Minister, David Cameron - £142,500 or $NZ 274,000.  Who has by far the easier job?  We think so, too.

3 comments:

Wallace said...

"Crikey" .I think the general public should be made more aware of this, at least I never voted for either our so called dyke Mayor and most of her associates.
Time they were shown the door, more money going to the new swimming pool than helping the Kapiti foodbank that have run out, and that helps those struggling now to pay rates for these greedy fat cats to cream off us , saying it nicely..

transpress nz said...

The KCDC under Dougherty and Rowan has developed a culture of "spend, spend, spend". For example, is it necessary to resurface every suburban street every 2 or 3 years if they are already in perfectly good order? And who is forced to pay for all of it? The ratepayer - and many of the people in Kapiti are retirees on fixed pensions.

Wallace said...

Unfortunately as has happened before there was some apathy with voters at the last council elections, and quite a few councillors returned to office who should have been long gone . How many remember KCDC spending $24,000 or more on the worlds most expensive Council bikeshed under Rowan.I understand they are even paying for students to learn on a council paid course how to use graffitti art to their best abilities!!. Its unbelievable, and whilst some have the courage to write to the local papers and voice opinion, Rowan gently smooths it off in media as if its all an illusion. If a manager ran a company like KCDC has operated for the ratepayers he/she would have been strung up by his workers and left.