Council Staff Blow Out Astonishing

“No wonder rates are going up,” says Jo Holmes, spokesperson for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance in reaction to today’s news that Auckland Council has had a $63 million blowout in staff costs.

“The Council appears to be trying to soften the public for next week’s release of the annual accounts which are understood to show ballooning operating expenses and debt.”

“The Council should be benchmarking itself to wages in the private sector. Instead, not only is the Council bringing on more people, the wages for existing staff are rising much faster than in the private sector.”

“Cushy job if you can get it. But it's Auckland ratepayers who are picking up Len Brown’s tab.”

ENDS