Bay of Plenty Regional Council's senior leadership team is choosing to donate from their salaries, and has offered to forego any salary increase in the coming financial year, in response to COVID-19's local impact.
Chief Executive Fiona McTavish says she is incredibly proud of her leadership team members for their show of leadership and solidarity in opting to donate 10 per cent of their salaries for a six-month period.
The leadership team comprises Fiona and five senior people leaders.
'We're exploring the Acorn Foundation as a vehicle to ensure the benefit of our donations is maximised and directed to those in our regional communities who have been most impacted by the current situation. We know a lot of people are struggling and we feel that making a contribution is the right thing to do.
'The Acorn Foundation has established a COVID-19 rapid response fund that can deliver region-wide support.
"This model of ‘work-place giving' also provides an avenue for our wider staff and Councillors to anonymously donate to the fund via our payroll system, but clearly, this is a private matter for individuals to consider based on their own circumstances."
The regional council is also awaiting a Remuneration Authority determination on any changes to elected member salaries, which it will consider at a future meeting.
6 comments
Token gesture but a start
Posted on 17-04-2020 15:16 | By Asher Del
Come on CEO. Does that mean a drop form about 7500 a week to 7000 a week for six months. Not sure how you'll cope. This is serious and people are hurting really badly out there. How about at least matching the PM or even besting her?
Refund it?
Posted on 17-04-2020 16:10 | By Really
Maybe the donation of salary should go back to the ratepayers paying for it!
@ Asher Del
Posted on 17-04-2020 22:02 | By Yadick
Where do you get your figures?
Joke
Posted on 18-04-2020 08:22 | By GWHtpt
So you want to push rates up. Why not just take a pay cut and to clarify your only giving up 5% of your pay as it’s only over 6 months. There’s people about to seriously lose jobs and you think you’re doing you’re part with a pathetic pay cut and willing to not look at pay rises next year. You lot haven’t been doing your job for a very long time maybe a reshuffle should be on the cards!!!
Over statement
Posted on 19-04-2020 07:39 | By Informed
@Asher please don't make up numbers. Zero chance that any council CEO in BOP is making even close to that number. Unfortunately NZ undervalued council staff, so they get paid way less compared to commercial orgs. Even though they run some of the most complex businesses in NZ.
Give it back to ratepayers
Posted on 20-04-2020 13:08 | By Captain Hottie
@Really - yes I agree. Donating to your own pet project is not helping ratepayers hurting through job losses. And not everyone agrees on which charity is the 'best', there are so many set up in competition (just how many 'hungry kids' charities do we really need?) and some are downright dodgy or have ulterior motives. It's ratepayers' money, it should go back into ratepayers' coffers. People wouldn't need charities if the council weren't so greedy wrt rates.
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