Just how the pool of money available to pay Otago regional councillors should be divided could not be agreed upon by all councillors yesterday.
The new council was meeting to allocate the pool of money allotted to it by the Remuneration Authority for elected members' remuneration.
The remuneration pool for the Otago Regional Council was $532,930, of which $118,200 was deducted for the chairman's salary (chairman Stephen Woodhead had elected to have a council vehicle supplied, reducing his salary).
Councillors needed to agree how to divide the balance taking into consideration the responsibilities that came with roles such as committee chairman or deputy chairman.
The former council had agreed on a weighting of 1.50 for deputy council chairman, 1.25 for standing committee chairmen and 1 for councillors.
However, the new council agreed to a new committee structure, reducing the six main committees to five and adding an objections committee.
They also agreed to a pool of money being put aside to reimburse councillors for their work on Resource Management Act hearings.
Cr Duncan Butcher, a committee chairman, proposed a weighting of 1.425 ($51,665) for deputy council chairman, 1.25 ($45,320) for committee chairmen, 1.1 ($39,882) for objections committee chairman and 1 ($36,256) for councillors.
He did not believe proposals to close the salary gap between committee chairmen and councillors was fair.
"I believe there is quite a bit of work that committee chairs do ... 1.25 is reasonable recompense out of the pool for their work."
Cr Sam Neill opposed Cr Butcher's motion on the grounds a greater differential could create an "A" and "B" team and instead suggested an alternative "option E", proposed by Cr Doug Brown before the meeting, of 1.4 for deputy council chairman, 1.15 for committee chairmen, 1.06 objections committee chairman and 1 for councillors.
Cr Gerry Eckhoff agreed and said all 11 councillors were elected to the table and other councils in Otago had moved to flatten out their structure.
"It seems to me option E is more equitable."
Cr Trevor Kempton said he did not think money had anything to do with the relationship between councillors and committee chairmen, rather it was their "willingness to operate as a team".
Chairman Stephen Woodhead reminded councillors to be "very careful not to get hung up on the money".
Cr Brian Scott said he was a "swinger" on the issue and would abstain from voting.
After a vote by voice was held, Mr Woodhead called for a division to record each councillor's vote, with the result six votes to three in favour of Cr Butcher's option B.
As their recommendation was not unanimous, that and the basis of the dissent was required to be forwarded to the remuneration authority for its consideration.
