Cr Lee Vandervis called for an investigation of travel-related expenses going back to before the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said Covid shutdowns might account for much variability in personnel costs and travel-related expenses, but the pre-Covid travel cost of more than $582,000 in 2019-20 was an excessive outlier and should be investigated, ‘‘along with other travel-related millions spent over the last six years, in my view’’.
If gifts, prizes and koha could be about $12,300 in 2019-20, but more than double that in several other years, this raised a question of what was achieved by such spending.
The Otago Daily Times received information back from the council about what is known as ‘‘sensitive expenditure’’.
This means council expenditure that provides, or has the potential to provide, benefits to employees or associates.
It covers such things as travel, accommodation, gifts and entertainment.
It might also cover expenditure by the council that could be considered unusual for its purpose or functions.
The sensitive expenditure total was more than $1.3 million in 2019-20; it dropped during Covid and edged backed up over $1m, before seemingly being pulled back.
Spending on council purchase cards also fell in 2024-25.
As at February 24 this year, there were 160 active purchase cards, and work was ongoing to identify those no longer required, the council said.
‘‘The DCC is actively looking at all aspects of operational expenditure, including sensitive expenditure, as part of wider efforts to be lean, efficient and prudent financial stewards,’’ a spokesman said.
‘‘This includes reducing the number of purchase cards used across the organisation.’’
The council said some costs would be higher for 2024-25, ahead of last year’s election.
Cr Vandervis referred to the Citifleet fraud case of 2014; poor value was evident then, he said.
The person at the centre of that had access to more than one card, he said.
‘‘In looking again at DCC credit card use this year, I have been assured that no DCC staff member currently has access to more than one card, that these cards are all named, and that the number of credit cards held by staff is being reduced,’’ Cr Vandervis said.
‘‘My view is that staff costs generally, and credit card costs and card numbers, need to substantially reduce further, especially if we are to meet the government target of no more than a 2% rates rise next year.’’
He had again recently called for a better, easy and confidential whistleblower pathway to be highlighted on the council’s website to encourage identification of inappropriate spending of public funds, he said.
