Western Bay of Plenty councillors receive 57% pay increase to $80,000

Western Bay of Plenty District councillors have seen a remarkable pay increase of nearly 57% within a year, according to the Taxpayers’ Union. This surge, which raises the average salary from $51,525 to $80,822, has been criticized as “out of touch.” The mayor attributes the rise to factors including a reduced number of councillors and a salary pool allocation beyond the council’s control. In comparison, the national average salary increase for councils was 9.81%, with Queenstown Lakes following at 33.13%.

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