Back to the future
August 24th, 2010 at 1:00 pm by David FarrarThe Dom Post reports:
It has been 27 years since Sir Michael Fowler last donned the mayoral chains – but the octogenarian is back for another tilt at Wellington City Council.
Promising not to be “a nuisance to anybody this time”, the 80-year-old artist and former architect is standing for the city’s Lambton ward.
“Actually, I thought about standing for mayor but my son would not let me. He’s right, of course. I’ve been there, done that and I know what it’s like … But he’s let me have a go as a councillor.”
Sir Michael served on the council for 15 years from 1968 – the last nine as mayor. He was credited by many for modernising central Wellington but criticised by others for overseeing the demolition of many historic buildings.
Sir Michael was one of the outstanding Mayors of Wellington. I am however unsure about how well he would fit in, being just an ordinary Councillor – and 27 years after he left Council.
Being in Lambton Ward, I’m going to have some hard choices. The candidates are:
- John Bishop
- Stephanie Cook
- Adam Cunningham
- Michael Fowler
- Marcus Ganley
- Mark Greening
- Ian McKinnon
- Iona Katherine Mary Pannett
- Kris Price
I’m definitely supporting John Bishop and Ian McKinnon. Stephanie Cook and Iona Pannett are both conscientious Councillors – even through their politics are not mine (they are Green). And a couple of the other challengers are quite decent also. Plus you have Sir Michael.
Back to the Dom Post article:
27 YEARS AGO
Wellington’s mayor was paid $31,200 per year, of which $6000 was tax-free.
Councillors were paid $29 per meeting, to a maximum of $2320 per year.
Average rates bill was $400.
WELLINGTON IN 2010
Wellington’s mayor is paid $153,660 a year and the deputy mayor $107,615.
Councillors are paid between $69,240 and $88,409, depending on their responsibilities.
The rates bill on an average home is around $2000.
Inflation over the 27 years has been 192%. The CPI went from 276 to 1100. If one takes that into account, the increases in real terms per year have been:
- Mayoral Salary – 2.5%
- Rates – 2.6%
- Councillor Salary – 34.1%
This reflects a belief I have long had – that Councillors went from being a part-time role to full-time jobs – and I think this has been a bad thing. I think it was better when Councillors were part-time Governors – like company directors. Instead too many are now professional politicians.
Related posts:
- Cook retires
- Wellingtonian on Wellington City Councillors
- Wellington City Council 2010 election
- Vote for the teddy bears
August 24th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Whatever happened to Jevan Goulter in the Lambton Ward?
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Councillors who are Chairs of Committee should be paid more. The rest can simply get an attendance allowance. Sir Michael Fowler is a good choice, I hope you vote for him. Wellington has had better success with its Mayors than has the other cities especially Auckland.
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Ian McKinnon all the way! You can’t go wrong with Ronnie. In fact, you “go well.”
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
So councillor salary is taking a greater proportion of rates than it did previously. Is the greater proportion justified?
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Inv2
I think he’s going for one of the smaller (sticks) cities like Wanganui or some such.
I think we need regime change in Wellington.
1. the cutting out of the ratepayers on the waterfront.
2. the potential ask to ban drink in the whole city for a policing problem.
3. they don’t consult but PR.
4. offloading business rates onto private individuals (we help pay theirs and they claim off of income, we don’t get their help nor can claim)
I won’t be voting for anyone who voted to keep our eyes off of the waterfront or who voted for a whole city ban.
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
“This reflects a belief I have long had – that Councillors went from being a part-time role to full-time jobs – and I think this has been a bad thing.”
Me too. Like the national scene, the more time you give politicians to make things more complex, the more complex things get requiring more time etc.
What happens as you move away from the company director/board meeting approach is these guys get more isolated from their communities and deeper into entitlitis and the notion of a political elite.
Its then a moot point who they are working for.
JC
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
While Iona Pannett is effective, I wouldn’t want too many Green orientated councillors. It’s time for Stephanie Cook to be ousted and go the same way as her Alliance Green party. A recent experts panel rated her effectiveness and work ethic both “very poor”. This is shocking for someone elected in 1995 and shows she has lost interest in all but the salary cheque, more than $87,000 a year. What value for money is the ratepayer getting from Stephanie Cook. She’s unlikely to stand next election so a vote for her is wasted anyway. It’s time to get some competent new people on the council, and to cut out the deadwood. The panel’s 2009 review can be found here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/communities/2336138/The-good-the-bad-and-the-invisible
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Be intersting to apply the rating system suggested yesterday to MP’s and councillors.
Vote:Effectiveness test.
90% fail I’d reckopn.
August 24th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
You’re right. I don’t know why Green supporters still vote for Stephanie Cook. She is one of the few who recently voted for the citywide booze ban, which was soundly defeated. She’s been on holiday during the chaos that is the Manners Mall destruction.
Vote:http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3948826/Mall-shops-fear-delays-as-workers-doze.
She voted to destroy Manners Mall, a key pedestrian area. It’s destruction is part of the Mayor’s Ngauranga to Airport Strategy for transport, mainly cars.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/2474325/Buses-back-in-mall/.
When she had housing resonsibility back in 2005 she increased the rents for Wellington’s poorest by 5% when inflation was practically nothing and turned down the cheaper central government formula for charging state tenants.
http://www.capitaltimes.co.nz/article/204/Rentincrease.html.
Her 15 long years on the council have turned Stephanie Cook into a conservative politician.
August 24th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
This is the 2010 Wellingtonian panel review, which rated council plodder Stephanie Cook very poor, and Hayley Wain off the scale terrible.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/the-wellingtonian/3870457/Black-mark-for-Hayley-Wain
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Did you miss the bit where they asked for feedback on the city drink ban, got a lot of negative comments, and decided not to go ahead with it?
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
The positive of Sir Michael Fowler as a councillor is that he has the political abitity to get folk on board by careful massage and change. Additionally if that doesnt work and for those who have elderly relatives and friends you will be aware that 80 year olds dont give two tuppeny stuffs who they offend. The aged know they are at the butt end of the fag and they have no time to waste in getting their views across.
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Michael Fowler, the master of “careful” change. You must be joking. He’s a divisive, ego driven figure.
Vote:Fowler would make an appalling councillor. He was bad enough as mayor.
During his mayoralty between 1974 and 1983 about 90 historic buildings were demolished in the central city, including the Kings Theatre (corner of Dixon and Egmont Streets). http://architecture.org.nz/2010/08/16/just-manners/.
Wellingtonians had to fight in 1983 to keep their Town Hall.
Even after he left office he still couldn’t stop himself trying to destroy the city. Michael Fowler was an adviser to the group wanting to pull down three historic buildings on Lambton Quay (eg Prudential – an Art deco jewel – and South British Insurance). Thank god they lost.
His current Thorndon house is on the old bowling green.
Perhaps it’s time to knock over the Michael Fowler Centre. It was always built far too close to the front of the Town Hall. He couldn’t even get that right.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Yes Bagehot. Perhaps you are not aware that those lovely buildings Michael Fowler and his Council were advised to destroy were built on sand with limited piles, no earthquake strengthening, no steel tie backs. Bricks and mortar sitting on reclaimed land in an earthquake prone city. As for the plaster and poured concrete of the Kings theatre… rather you than me there viewing ‘Ben Hur’ in an earthquake.
Furthermore Bagehot the bowling green was sold by the Thorndon Bowling Club to developers as the club couldnt attract members. Without a sustainable membership there were no funds to pay the rates, the insurance, the green keeper. They sold up and distributed the funds to the limited membership. If you are that keen on bowls why didnt you join up and save the club?
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Thorndon bowling club – the funds were not distributed to members, this would be contrary to the Incorporated Societies Act. The funds are probably in the hands of the regional or national organisation. The club also closed its membership when it decided to close down to stop people joining whose sole interest was to retain the land as open space.
With all due respect, Michael I think fails to appreciate he is really past his ‘best by’ date in local politics. The late Sir Arnold Nordmyer, the former Presbyterian minister from Kurow and author of the 1958 Black Budget stood for the Wellington Hospital Board in his 80′s and I think polled top. However as far as I remember he did not really achieve much and stood down after the three years.
Vote:August 24th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Here you go Peterwn
Vote:‘In 2001 the Thorndon Bowling Club ceased its bowling activities. Eleven of the twenty remaining members from the Thorndon Bowling Club joined the Wilton Bowling Club. After selling up, the Thorndon Bowling Club Committee agreed to invest its funds in an indoor bowling facility at Wilton. An agreement was entered into between the Thorndon Bowling Club and the Wilton Bowling Club for the Thorndon Bowling Club to fund the proposed building to enclose the Wilton Bowling Club’s Number One green’.
August 24th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Oh for the love of God, could we please just have less “government”? If Rodney was a proper libertarian he would be dissolving all local government, not making it bigger in parts of the country. All I want is a water board to send water in and take it out, and some bloke to get the roads in order. That’s all. Everything else I can take care of for much less than $7,500 a year thank you very much.
Vote:August 25th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Tinakori. I play my bowls at the Lyall Bay club, although do watch the cricket if a test is on. The argument for knocking down all those 90 historic buildings could be used for the St James, State Opera House, Embassy, Bristol Hotel, Public Trust Building, the list goes on, even Parliament House. I suppose that’s why NZ is at the forefront of seismic minimisation design technology and “strengthens” old buildings. Michael Fowler just wanted to destroy all those buildings so he and a few of his architect mates could design some stainless steel and brutalist concrete rubbish. Look how those cheap and nasty 80s buildings have stood the test of time (less than 30 years) – the Oaks etc. I won’t even mention leaky buildings. Fowler turned chunks of Wellington into a tacky toy town. Thank god voters had had enough by 1983. He should stick to his water colours (of mainly historic buildings ironically). Pictures of concrete slabs don’t sell.
Vote:August 25th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Bagehot. I’m pleased you alerted me to that. We then need to seriously consider confiscating Michael Fowler’s passport should he have ideas of travelling to the UK and destroying the Royal Citadel at Plymouth Hoe. The very spot where Francis Drake played bowls before sailing out into the channel to engage the Spanish armada. It may well be worth throwing a security cordon around your bowling club just in case Michael has ideas of practice run for the Hoe.
Vote:August 26th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
27 YEARS AGO
Wellington’s mayor was paid $31,200 per year, of which $6000 was tax-free.
Councillors were paid $29 per meeting, to a maximum of $2320 per year.
Average rates bill was $400.
WELLINGTON IN 2010
Wellington’s mayor is paid $153,660 a year and the deputy mayor $107,615.
>>>Just over 5.5% p.a increase (compounded)
Councillors are paid between $69,240 and $88,409, depending on their responsibilities.
>>>Between 13.4 ~ 14.4% p.a increase (compounded) assuming they were being paid $2,320 27yrs ago
The rates bill on an average home is around $2000.
>>>Just over 6% p.a increase (compounded)
Inflation over the 27 years has been 192%. The CPI went from 276 to 1100
>>>I can never reconcile “official” CPI numbers, too often divorced from reality for my liking (and I dare say manipulated to suit the powers that be), and presuming they are reported NET of tax, this equates to a 7% p.a increase (compounded and grossed-up @ 25%)
Conclusion: Salary and rate increases look very reasonable compared to real inflation, assuming those Councillors who were working 20hrs per week are now working at least 40hrs per week.
Vote: