Changes in the council chamber
The councillor who has been given a signficant pay rise following a reshuffle around the council table has said he is not worth it.
Mike Montgomerie
Mike Montgomerie told the council meeting today the increase, which took his pay above deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk “didn’t sit quite right with me.”
The News’ print edition reports Montgomerie is now the highest paid councillor earning $62,508 a year with Stolwyk still on $58,341.
He now chairs the Finance and Corporate committee as well as being on the Cambridge Community Board.
“I’m arguing against a pay rise of that magnitude,” he said.
“It’s because we haven’t had someone who’s been a chair of a committee and on a community board before.
“It seems slightly wrong to me. I don’t think I’m worth it to be honest,” he said.
“We come here as equals. We sit around this table, we bring our skills, our experience and our brain power and we work things out.”
The people at the bottom of the scale – a reference to Cr Roger Gordon who is the lowest paid councillor on $43,755 – and what he would earn was too big, said Montgomerie.
At mayor Susan O’Regan’s request, a revised formula was presented for councillors to consider which would have put Montgomerie and Stolwyk on $59,215 each but seen Service Delivery Committee chair Clare St Pierre take a pay cut from $56,257 to $52,870.
There was no intention for St Pierre to take a reduction so O’Regan hit pause on the alternative.
Meanwhile Andrew Brown, who was replaced as finance chair after 11 years in the role, said it was going to be “quite odd” not being chair.
Montgomerie had the right skill set to take the job on for the next six months, he said.
Veteran councillor Lou Brown, who sources say is standing again for council and the oldest councillor at 79, said he was not a councillor for the money.
“We’re here to represent people. The reality is we don’t do this for remuneration. It’s just part of what we’re doing. If we did, we’d probably be looking at corporate jobs,” he said.
Marcus Gower said he could not do the councillor’s job without remuneration. He was self employed and able to work around his council duties.
“The remuneration is nice but if it wasn’t there, I couldn’t do this,” he said.
Elected members’ pays:
Mayor Susan O’Regan $150,770, Mike Montgomerie $62,508, deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk $58,341, Clare St Pierre $56,257, Lou Brown, Bruce Thomas, Phillip Coles Mike Pettit, Dale-Maree Morgan $50,006, Marcus Gower $47,923, Andrew Brown $45,839, Roger Gordon $43,755.
Community boards: Cambridge chair – Jo Davies-Colley $20,844, members $10,422; Te Awamutu chair – Angela Holt $20,126, members $10,063.
See: Local Government Members 202425 Determination 2024
27 February 9am
First term Waipā councillor Mike Montgomerie is the big winner of an election year reshuffle around the council table.
Council meeting.
The Maungatautari ward member takes over as chair of the Finance and Corporate committee from a departing Andrew Brown while deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk has “resigned” as chair of the Strategic Planning and Policy committee in what mayor Susan O’Regan describes as a cabinet reshuffle.
Mike Montgomerie
Montgomerie, who comes from the Fonterra governance factory line, has impressed in his first term. Once Brown said he was not standing again, his promotion came as no surprise. Brown takes over from Bruce Thomas, another departing councillor, as finance deputy chair.
Stolwyk stepping down from a committee which she led through some significant hearings, including Ahu Ake and annual plans, was unexpected.
The News understands internal politics has been at play for several weeks.
Mayor Susan O’Regan, left, and deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, right.
O’Regan has retaken the chair which she held for three years last term before her election as mayor.
Roger Gordon
Montgomerie is now the highest paid councillor earning $62,508 a year with Stolwyk, kept as deputy mayor, still on $58,341.
Roger Gordon, one of the council’s most diligent councillors, stays the lowest paid on $43,755.
Underutilised Cambridge ward member Mike Pettit, a former community board chair and two-term councillor, is now deputy chair of both the Service Delivery and strategic committees.
It completed an eventful time for the council which began just after The News went to press last week with the announcement long-serving deputy chief executive Ken Morris had resigned.
Ken Morris
Morris, honoured in the 2023 New Year’s Honours with the Queen’s Service Medal for his services to the community, leaves in April after 15 years.
It also came after the council referred The News’ request for information which previously appeared in committee agendas to its Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act response team.
The team now has 20 working days to answer questions about construction projects underway, including pavement rehabilitation, resurfacing and construction, updates on the urban mobility programme, road safety, passenger transport and Cambridge Connections.
Mike Pettit swearing in, 2023. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
