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A Selwyn community board member has hit back at questions over his mileage and travel time expense claims.
Barry Mackenzie, a member of Selwyn District Council’s Malvern Community Board, has the highest mileage and travel time claim among all board members and councillors in the district.
Between the October 11 local body elections and June 30, Mackenzie claimed $7799.06 in mileage and travel time allowances.
The next highest claim was from at-large councillor Samuel Wilshire at $5265.76, while the next highest community board claim was Bex Lambie’s $1931.97.
Mackenzie drives a diesel vehicle, which has a mileage rate of $1.30 per kilometre.
Petrol vehicles have a rate of $1.20 per kilometre; electric vehicles have a rate of $1.22 per kilometre, and petrol hybrids have a rate of 90c per kilometre.
He and all elected members are also entitled to claim a travel time allowance for travel within district boundaries after the first hour, paid at $41.30 per hour.
At the council’s audit and risk subcommittee meeting, councillor Tracey Macleod questioned Mackenzie’s claim.
“I don’t understand how someone who is a resident of Arthur’s Pass is running up so much mileage,” she said at the meeting.
Mackenzie maintains all his claims meet the requirements and have previously been approved by the council.
“My conscience is clear,” he said.
When asked by Selwyn Times how much of his claim was for kilometres travelled, and how much was for the travel time allowance, Mackenzie could not remember.
Asked why, he responded: “Because it is spreadsheeted for the claims. I don’t choose to commit that info to memory.”
Mackenzie told Selwyn Times to request the breakdown from the council.
Council chief executive Steve Gibling is reviewing Mackenzie’s claim and said it would be inappropriate to comment while the review is underway, which includes providing a breakdown of the claims.
Mackenzie said Macleod was a “bit underhanded” for questioning the claim in a public meeting without asking him about it first.
In response, Macleod told Selwyn Times: “Barry is not accountable to me; Barry is accountable to the ratepayers, and I’m one of their representatives at the council table. I don’t have an obligation to go and talk to Barry about a public record.”
Macleod’s mileage and travel time claim was $759.09 for the same period.
Mackenzie spends summer in Arthur’s Pass and winter in Redcliffs, but does not claim mileage until he reaches the Selwyn District boundary.
“We have a property there and generally live there for six months.”
He said the distance claimed while he is living in Redcliffs is often less than the same trip would be from Arthur’s Pass.
He said rising fuel prices meant the amount he claims is lower than what he spends.
Last month, the community board was put on notice over its mileage and travel time claims.
At the July board meeting, council staff initially proposed that board members would have to seek permission from chair Evan Frew before making trips, but the proposal was rejected as it would be too difficult to manage.
Frew said he was often out of cell coverage and not reachable.
He said board members should be able to use “common sense”.
Mackenzie said requiring permission would take the initiative away from board members.
While the board decided prior permission to travel would not be required, members agreed to be more careful about reducing their mileage and travel time claims where possible.
“It’s put us all on notice to be as fiscally responsible as we can, and to be able to carpool and do those sorts of things,” Mackenzie said.
Deputy mayor Brendan Shefford has made no mileage or travel time claims since being elected, saying he was too busy to bother claiming.
Councillor Denise Carrick said she often carpooled with Macleod or councillor Aaron McGlinchy and did not claim mileage herself.
Councillor Rhys Laraman and Frew did not respond to Selwyn Times about why their claims were $0.
Mileage and travel time allowances for all Selwyn District Council elected members from October 12 to June 30:
Samuel Wilshire: $5265.76
Elizabeth Mundt: $3000.24
John Verry: $2745.38
Sarah Barnsley: $2733.88
Lydia Gliddon: $2632.50
Aaron McGlinchy: $1235.52
Tracey Macleod: $759.09
Sophie McInnes: $583.76
Brendan Shefford: $0
Denise Carrick: $0
Rhys Laraman: $0
Malvern Community Board members’ mileage and travel time allowances:
Barry Mackenzie: $7799.06
Bex Lambie: $1931.97
Alan Peacock: $1693.35
Samantha Samuel: $489.76
Evan Frew: $0