Note: This story was updated on 21 March 2022 to include comments from Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Tauranga's four commissioners have earned more than $1.1 million in the year they have been leading the city's council.
Left to right: Shadrach Rolleston, Bill Wasley, Anne Tolley and Stephen Selwood. Photo: Sun Media / John Borren via LDR
Their total remuneration is similar to that if a mayor and 10 councillors were in charge, only split between four people.
In February last year, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta appointed the crown commission in place of the city's elected members.
The acting mayor and councillors were sacked in December 2020 because of the findings of an independent review and "significant governance problems among elected representatives".
Commission chair Anne Tolley and along with fellow commissioners Stephen Selwood, Shadrach Rolleston and Bill Wasley, were given the council's governance responsibilities.
Mahuta set remuneration at $1800 a day for the commission chair and $1500 for commissioners.
According to the council's remuneration figures, Tolley was paid $358,200 for 200 days work between February 2021 and February 2022.
Selwood earned $261,000 for 174 days, Rolleston worked 174.5 days and was paid $261,750 and Wasley earned $275,250 for 183.5 days work.
Tauranga City Council democracy services manager Coral Hair said the reason for the difference in the days worked by the commissioners was because of their different duties and responsibilities.
These included appointments to regional joint committees and they may also be asked to attend different events or meetings on the commission's behalf, Hair said.
Tolley's pay was more than double that of the former mayor Tenby Powell. He had an annual salary of $158,175 before he resigned in November 2020. This was lowered from $166,500 a year in July 2020 in response to Covid-19.
After the 2019 elections the deputy mayor's annual salary was $121,472, councillors were paid between $105,628 and $114,078 depending on their extra responsibilities. These figures were also reduced in July 2020 because of Covid-19.
The commissioners have amassed more than $71,000 in expenses as well.
Tolley, who normally resides in Ōhope, was paid $750 a week toward permanent accommodation costs in Tauranga. Her expenses totalled $35,565.
Rolleston resident, Sellwood's expenses were $34,337. He was paid a maximum of $750 a week for travel and accommodation costs.
Hair said $750 was the maximum that could be claimed even if the expenses were more than that.
"This is a financially neutral position for the council," Hair said.
Commissioners Wasley and Rolleston reside in Tauranga and were entitled to expenses if travelling out of Tauranga for business.
Wasley's expenses were $1436 for the year and Rolleston had not claimed any.
The council is responsible for paying the commissioners remuneration and it is paid from the same pool set by the Remuneration Authority for elected members.
From the 2019 elections to 30 June 2020, the councillors' pool was $1,105,920 per annum.
The commissioners' total remuneration from 9 February 2021 to 28 February 2022 was $1,156,200.
Withholding tax is deducted from the remuneration and expense figures exclude GST.
In response to why the commissioners were paid more than previous elected members Mahuta told Local Democracy reporting: "It is worth noting that the four commissioners appointed to the council have taken on the roles of a mayor and 10 councillors".
"As ministerial appointments, the commission's fees are set at a higher rate than the prescribed framework fees for a Group 4 Level 2 body due to the significant time commitment and the high level of skills and expertise required for the role," she said.
The fees framework the minister is referring to is for members appointed to bodies in which the Crown has an interest.
Fees for a Group 4 Level 2 body are set at $390 to $885 a day for a chair and $290 to $560 for members.
"Commissioners are entitled to receive fees determined by section 258V of the Local Government Act 2002."
Mahuta said the commission's chair was responsible for ensuring that any expenses claimed were reasonable and necessary.
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