There are 3 things to note:
- While the KCDC (and all other councils) have input into the process, the base salaries and allowances are set by the Remuneration Authority — see here
- For those who take the job seriously (a few don’t), the roles involve a significant number of hours — in our estimation about 25 hours a week for councillors and 15 for community board members. Hard workers can spend even more than that. The Mayor is a full time job.
- Senior staffers get a lot more for the hours they spend than the mayor and councillors do.
So David Scott did keep receiving his salary all last year?
Officially he did, although the council changed the bank account number that it was being paid to so he didn’t get it. If money is paid to a non-existent bank account it goes back to the payer. Although a few of David Scott’s opponents like Cr Buswell bemoan even the official payment, the fact is that if he had resigned at the time of the trial, it would have forced a by-election which for a District-wide seat would have cost Ratepayers about $100,000 so his being (nominally) kept on the payroll was much cheaper. The whole complaint was a Machiavellian set-up by Dougherty, Guru, Power and ms Accomplice to get DS off the council.