Council amalgamations - fat cat salaries for mayors ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Fat cat salaraies for mayors

27 August 2007

Mayors of Queensland's biggest future councils would be Australia's best paid under a remuneration model from councils' peak body.

If adopted, top-tier council mayors would receive more than $200,000, with additional perks such as cars, phones and out-of-pocket expenses determined at the discretion of individual councils.

The Local Government Association of Queensland this month sent a submission to the yet-to-be-established Local Government Remuneration Tribunal outlining their case on councillors' pay and conditions.

Under the model, the tribunal would categorise Queensland's future 73 councils on a scale of one to six depending on their size and population.

Category one mayors would be paid the same as a State Government cabinet minister – currently $204,884 – while second-level mayors would be paid 80 per cent of the rate ($163,907).

Councillors in the top tier would be paid half the rate, $102,442.
...

See - Amalgamation fat cats.