Whakatāne Mayor Tony Bonne’s council-owned vehicle is to be replaced, as part of a move to align the renewal process with the triennial election cycle.

Whakatāne District Council Finance General Manager Helen Barnes says the replacement vehicle will have a maximum cost of up to $45,800 (including on road costs, but excluding GST) and is expected to be “cost neutral” - funded by the sale of the current vehicle, plus accumulated depreciation allocated against it.

“Council elected members decided in 2014 that a mayoral vehicle was required to allow the Mayor to effectively carry out his duties on behalf of the community, as provided for by the Remuneration Authority, and that decision was reconfirmed in April this year when Council adopted a report on remuneration for positions with additional responsibilities,” Ms Barnes says. “Those decisions recognise the Mayor’s commitment to being accessible to communities throughout the District, and the fact that he often travels with other elected members and staff to undertake Council activities within and outside of the District. A vehicle of a reasonable size is therefore required, which can cope with sealed and unsealed roads, as required.”

A personal use assessment for the vehicle (calculated according to a standard Remuneration Authority formula) is deducted from the Mayor’s annual salary. For the replacement vehicle, that will see the Mayoral salary reduced by just over $4,300 to $103,717.

Vehicle operating costs are provided for in the Council’s governance budget.