Qld Mayors get pay rise - shiny happy people ...
Queensland's mayors have won themselves yet another remuneration increase after complaining they are both overworked and underpaid.
But despite the extra cash, they have been told to spend less time dealing with ratepayers and more time focusing on "strategic plans".
From January 1, 29 mayors will have their maximum remuneration level increased by 5 per cent - only months after they were awarded pay increases of up to 20 per cent to reflect the extra work involved with amalgamation. CPI currently is running at 3 per cent.
Among those to receive pay rises are Redland City Council Mayor Melva Hobson and Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Peter Taylor , who will now earn an extra $6324, taking their salaries to $145,544.
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Councillors are complaining that they do not get raffle tickets or charity donations on expenses; Deputy mayors are demanding extra money for filling in for the mayor; Money is being wasted by councils awarding maximum salaries to councillors.
See - Courier Mail - 'Overworked, underpaid' Queensland mayors win pay rises.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 6:49 AM
16 Comments:
What has Taylor done to deserve a pay rise?
He hasn't achieved anything!! Signed up a CEO straight away when he could have waited, then ended up paying him half a million dollars to get rid of him.
Other high ranking staff have left the council also with golden handshakes.
Taylor isn't capable of running this council, just wasting ratepayers money. He will only serve one term.
Taylor has also gagged the councillors - so what is really going on. We as ratepayers are being treated like idiots.
11:03 AM, December 23, 2008
Taylor has been a BIG disappointment!
12:50 PM, December 23, 2008
He is exactly what we expected and that is a huge failure.
We are now wasting so much money on the likes of him and the rest of the Council and we the ratepayer get nothing in return.
This Council will go down in history for costing us so much money.
There is still the law suits outstanding between Gardener's and the Council and Wagner's and the Council because of a monumental stuff up about a industrial development by the council staff.
The money these two will seek will blow your minds and we are going to reward Peter bloody Taylor for the mess he has made so far.
DISGUSTING!!!
10:00 PM, December 23, 2008
Tell us more about the law suits.
10:36 PM, December 23, 2008
Could have been worse..it could have been Snow Manners...
11:11 PM, December 23, 2008
At least Snow is snowy and doesn't pretend with copious amounts of hair dye. Talk about vanity!
11:21 PM, December 23, 2008
Peter Taylor:
I'm so sexy with my hair
Too sexy to be bare
So sexy as Mayor
I'm a Mayor you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk
And I'm too sexy for my hat
Too sexy for my hat
What do you think about that
I'm a Mayor you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk
I'm too sexy for grey hair
Too sexy to be fair
So sexy as Mayor
I'm a Mayor you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk
And I'm too sexy for this town ...
11:31 PM, December 23, 2008
Ask the Council if they told Gardner about the objection from Wagner?
The law suits are flying back and forth and it will cost this city 10's of millions.
That's how good a mayor Taylor is!
Where do they get that sort of money?
Us!!!
7:15 AM, December 24, 2008
Snow Manners would have had the wood on the bureaucrats and he would not have signed off on Phil Spencer's contract straight away and that would have saved this city the money we are now shelling out.
We all know that Kevie Flanagan had the resignation ready in the draw if Snow was elected and that would have been another problem gone.
The National Party machine kicked in during that election and we have the Council they wanted and we have a replacement they wanted too.
7:20 AM, December 24, 2008
The Chronicle:
Christmas bonus for Toowoomba Mayor
23rd December 2008
A $6324 pay rise will ensure Toowoomba Regional Council mayor Peter Taylor enjoys a very merry Christmas indeed.
The Local Government Remuneration Tribunal has approved a five per cent salary increase from January 1 which could take the Mercedes-driving politician’s base package to $145,554.
This does not include the $32,430 amalgamation bonus the farmer and former company director will receive before the next election in March, 2012.
Cr Taylor defended his pay rate yesterday, in comparison to other politicians.
"I wouldn’t want to work it out on an hourly rate," he said.
"I represent about four times as many people as any State Member. There are 100 schools in the area, 11,000km of road and 35 towns."
His schedule is apparently so hectic he is considering using it as a novel tool to justify his salary to ratepayers.
"I’m thinking of publishing my diary," he said.
"My day could start in the city in the morning as a guest speaker at a function, then there could be something in Clifton, several meetings back in Toowoomba and a speech night at Yarraman in the evening."
Thus, he clocks up about 5000km a month crisscrossing the region between functions and meetings.
"I’m not complaining about the workload," he was quick to add. "I expected a seven-day a week job and that’s what I got."
Not every representative is as accepting of their workloads as Cr Taylor. Councillor submissions to the independent Local Government Remuneration Tribunal claimed they were overworked and underpaid.
"I’m currently paid around $12,000 less than the top band we could have chosen," Cr Taylor said. "And I anticipate I will continue to be paid well below the maximum."
Still, ratepayers interviewed randomly by The Chronicle yesterday were unimpressed.
With the exception of Bill McKee who said he was "sure the mayor will earn it", the six residents were disgusted by the tribunal’s granting of a pay rise during a global economic slowdown.
Toowoomba business owner Andrew Steele said the increase flew "in the face of what amalgamation was about — cheaper government".
"My wife is a doctor and she doesn’t earn that much. I don’t earn that much and I run a business. It’s a horrible lot of money."
Ratepayer Jeanette Hoy believed the significant rise was unwarranted.
"But if I was the mayor I would probably think it was very fair," she said. "Half his luck."
The recommended pay rise will be considered by the council at either its January or February meetings.
10:49 AM, December 24, 2008
From Peter Taylor's election website:
Water recycling: Peter, while entirely mindful of public opposition in Toowoomba to the drinking of recycled water, fully supports recycling by the adoption of dual reticulation, purple pipe systems for all new developments. He argues for a local water grid connected to the Wivenhoe supply for emergency use only, as recommended by the Water Taskforce, but would fight strongly to defend Toowoomba's ownership of its water and sewerage assets.
11:01 AM, December 24, 2008
Oh no, I have to go and open another envelope in Oakey. I'm really earning my money with this tough job.
11:06 AM, December 24, 2008
Our mayor is 61+ and not a grey hair on him. What a wonderful example of eternal youth he is.
11:21 AM, December 24, 2008
ABC News:
Toowoomba Mayor defends pay rise
24 December 2008
The Mayor of the Toowoomba Regional Council has defended his 5 per cent pay rise.
The Local Government Remuneration Tribunal has approved the increase from January 1, taking Peter Taylor's salary to more than $145,000.
Councillor Taylor says council will make the final decision on the increase.
"The independent tribunal was appointed by the Government to recommend salaries for elected members across the state," he said.
"I think it's a good thing that an independent tribunal does make those recommendations rather than elected members themselves having [to] consider their salaries from year to year."
4:13 PM, December 24, 2008
Taylor: I have to take it. They're making me take it.
4:20 PM, December 24, 2008
There'd be nothing stopping him from giving it to charity but no he wants the cash.
4:23 PM, December 24, 2008
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