The Mayor and Chief Executive of the New Plymouth District Council are set to take voluntary pay cuts in the wake of the unprecedented Covid-19 emergency.

The Mayor and other Councillors’ pay is set by the Independent Remuneration Authority and the rules do not allow for salary reductions. Accordingly Mayor Neil Holdom will donate 10% of his salary for the next six months to a range of Taranaki charities.

“I know our business community and households are struggling in these unprecedented times,” says Mayor Holdom. “My decision to take a pay cut has been made with my wife Melissa and is totally voluntary. As the leader of our District, it’s the right decision for me to make as we tackle the biggest financial crisis of my generation.

“I note that there is some pressure from a small but vocal group in our community looking for Councillors to also take pay cuts and would remind Taranaki people that we have aimed to encourage a younger more diverse range of people into Council. We now have a younger more diverse group with mortgages and young families earning around $50,000 a year doing fantastic work in our community and often quietly supporting many charity and volunteer organisations. I do not believe it is appropriate that the media or members of the public look to pressure our Councillors on this matter.”

Chief Executive Craig Stevenson has decided to reduce his pay by a further 10% over the next six months having previously turned down a 2.9% pay increase offered by the Council. This money will be allocated to NPDC’s operational budget. “This is a personal decision I have made and is my way of showing empathy and support to those who are affected by the current crisis. The entire team at NPDC are working incredibly hard to support our District as we look to recover from the pandemic”.

NPDC’s Get Us Back on Our Feet plan will help address locally the economic pain of Covid-19 over the next year. It includes a range of measures to kick-start the District’s economy to support the Government’s stimulus package while working with businesses, Iwi and other partners.

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