Auckland Council Salaries: 86 officers earn more than $ 250,000 – Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance

More than 80 Auckland Council employees earn more than $ 250,000 a year, according to new research by a group of taxpayers.

Figures released today by the Auckland Taxpayers Alliance say 48 employees earn more than Mayor Phil Goff’s salary of $ 296,000.

Seven council employees earn more than Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose annual salary is $ 471,000.

The list compiled publicly available information about paying staff who earn more than $ 250,000, Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokeswoman Jo Jomes said.

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The alliance says 71 percent of those identified on the list are men, including the six staff members who receive more than $ 500,000.

There are 24 employees from Auckland Transport, 11 from Watercare, six from Regional Facilities Auckland, five from ATEED and five from Panuku Development.

In a letter dated April 17, Auckland Council Chief Executive Stephen Town told the lobby that his figures were inaccurate.

The group of taxpayers released that letter to show that it had attempted to verify the accuracy of its information before publishing it.

Holmes said that publishing today’s “City Council Rich List” was “an exercise in transparency and accountability.”

“If someone is paid more than a government minister, taxpayers must at least know who they are and what they do.”

However, Town said in the letter that despite the inaccuracies, the council will not correct or confirm the salary figures or names of the people concerned, as it would be an “unacceptable intrusion on your privacy.”

Town referred to a previous decision by the Ombudsman in which a request for specific details about Christchurch City Council wages was rejected, on the grounds that privacy concerns outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

“We oppose your targeting of specific council group employees and pressuring them to disclose your personal information. We ask that you refrain from doing so and make further requests for information through appropriate and official channels,” he wrote. Town.

But the alliance told Town that it had compiled the figures using publicly available information; Then he had taken the additional step of sending an email to the interested parties asking if they wanted to correct or clarify any information.

“We totally reject his claim that the Rich List is an unacceptable intrusion into [the] privacy ‘of the people listed … This is not anonymous front-line or underpaid staff.

“Without exception, those on the list are in high-level positions,” the alliance said.

All tips to face salary scrutiny: Taxpayers Union

The research was carried out with the help of the New Zealand Taxpayers Union, which plans to publish such lists for New Zealand councils.

Holmes said compiling the list was not easy, as the Auckland Council and council-controlled organizations provide “bands” of compensation rather than exact wages. In such cases, the alliance had used the midpoint of each band.

“CCOs also declined to provide exact job titles, meaning extrapolation was required to match names to wages,” said Holmes.

“So while we prefer that the council publish this kind of information on its own in more detail, we are releasing our best effort now in the hope that it will generate debate within the public and around the council table.”

Last month, Auckland Council chiefs said they would take 10-20% pay cuts for six months due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Council chief executive Stephen Town said he and the chief executive officers and presidents of the five council-controlled organizations would take a 20 percent pay cut over the next six months, as that was the right thing to do in the current environment. .

Additionally, board and CCO executives will take a voluntary pay cut of at least 10 percent for six months, and CCO directors will voluntarily reduce their board fees by 10 percent for six months.

“We understand how difficult it is for many New Zealanders at this time. While this will not have a major impact on the council’s financial position, it recognizes that as leaders we must play our part by showing solidarity with communities and businesses,” he said. Town, whose salary was just under $ 700,000 in the last financial year.