During several recent council discussions over payments and allowances, concern has been voiced about what was yesterday termed "rural inequities".
These arise where rural councillors are required to drive long distances to attend meetings, whereas Dunedin-based councillors often face less travel.
At a Dunedin council meeting yesterday, councillors approved a Remuneration Authority determination which will boost councillor salaries by 1.7% in the 2017-18 financial year. Mr Woodhead later said some overall changes in rural payment arrangements helped clarify entitlements and provided a "workable solution" to rural travel cost concerns.
Councillors will now have a somewhat greater ability to gain travel cost support to attend council-approved and initiated meetings, under the new arrangements. But expenses can still not be claimed for travel for "constituency activity".
Councillors who wish to gain funding support in "grey" areas of activity, which could involve "constituency" business, can now seek permission from the council chairman.
Cr Michael Laws yesterday voiced concern about the unfairness of previously inadequate funding support for the travel required for rural councillors.
Cr Ella Lawton said it was "unfair" that "communities that are most isolated" were most likely to be disadvantaged because it was potentially harder to fund the attendance of council representatives.
Cr Doug Brown said there were "a lot of grey areas" over exactly what involved constituency work. Councillors yesterday approved arrangements that resulted in reimbursement of expenses "when required by virtue of membership" for council and committee meetings, workshops, consent hearings and council representation.
The arrangements were outlined in a report by council corporate services director Nick Donnelly. Mr Woodhead’s salary will rise from $119,509 to $121,541 in the 2017-18 year, and deputy chairwoman Gretchen Robertson will receive $67,676.
Five councillors will receive $48,340, and committee chairmen $55,591. A councillor who chairs a hearing panel, including over regional plan changes, receives $100 an hour, and other councillors sitting on such panels get $80 an hour.
