Southland Councils Say They’re Broke – But Paying Top Dollar to CEOs
The latest Council CEO Rich List from the Taxpayers’ Union shows Southland’s local council bosses continue to enjoy high salaries even as ratepayers are told money is tight.
Leading the pack was Gore District Council, who spent a total of $771,588 on remuneration for Deborah Lascelles, Lornae Straith and Stephen Parry – the second-highest total spend in the country, despite the council's small size.
Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager, Sam Warren, said:
“Southlanders are known to be hard-working and careful with money. But these salaries show that discipline hasn’t made it into the council chambers.”
“If there’s enough in the budget for $771,588 to be spent on CEO salaries, there should be enough to deliver the basics without excessive rate hikes.”
"These salaries show that the spirit of public service isn't being reflected by council bosses. Perhaps it's time to revert the job title from 'CEO' to Town Clerk. That would reflect what the job is supposed to be about: service, not riches."
“Councils need to start prioritising the ratepayer, not the payroll.”
The full list can be found at RichList.co.nz.
| Council | Chief Executive | 2023-24 Renumeration | 2022-23 Renumeration | $ Change | % Change |
| Gore District Council | Deborah Lascelles/Lornae Straith/Stephen Parry | $771,588.00 | $300,101.00 | $471,487.00 | 157.11% |
| Dunedin City Council | Sandy Graham | $483,652.00 | $449,758.00 | $33,894.00 | 7.54% |
| Southland District Council | Cameron McIntosh | $382,062.00 | $333,598.00 | $48,464.00 | 14.53% |
| Invercargill City Council | Michael Day | $356,882.00 | $451,211.00 | -$94,329.00 | -20.91% |
| Environment Southland | Wilma Falconer | $338,893.00 | $324,617.00 | $14,276.00 | 4.40% |
| 2023-24 Renumeration | 2022-23 Renumeration | $ Change | % Change | ||
| Total: | $2,333,077.00 | $1,859,285.00 | $473,792.00 | 25.48% | |
| Average: | $466,615.40 | $371,857.00 | $94,758.40 | 25.48% |