The Whakatāne District Council has unanimously adopted a resolution to provide a Mayoral vehicle, with a maximum value of up to $43,000, excluding GST and including on-road costs.

At its meeting yesterday, the Council considered a report from Chief Executive Marty Grenfell recommending that a vehicle be purchased to support the performance of the Mayor’s duties, as provided for by the Remuneration Authority. Mayor Tony Bonne currently uses his own vehicle for civic duties and claims mileage costs. The Mayor declared an interest in the matter and left the Council Chambers for the duration of the discussions, with the meeting being chaired by Deputy Mayor Judy Turner.

Mrs Turner says that because the Mayor travels widely and frequently throughout the District and further afield in carrying out the requirements of his office, it is fitting that he be provided with a suitable vehicle. “It’s noteworthy that most local authorities with a similar population size do provide a mayoral vehicle,” she says. “Our district covers a very large area and contains a number of isolated rural communities, which the Mayor visits regularly as part of his commitment to public accessibility. He often travels with other elected members and Council staff and must also host visitors to the District from time to time, so it’s important that he has a vehicle of reasonable size, which can handle rural roads.”

The vehicle purchase and running costs will be accommodated within existing Council budgets. An estimate based on the Remuneration Authority’s formula for vehicles provided for elected officials indicates that the Mayor’s annual remuneration ($101,300 a year, as from 1 July this year) will be reduced by $3,526 per annum, reflecting private use of the vehicle. There will also be estimated savings of $2,300 in annual mileage costs and up to $3,500 in vehicle fleet costs. The additional cost to the Council is expected to be in the order of $16,800 a year, with future costs to be factored into Long Term Plan budgets.