The Invercargill ‘mayoralty fund’ may have been slipping away for Sir Tim Shadbolt, but councillors were still happy to pay for his additional expenditure at the recent LGNZ conference.
His Worship’s recent $500 overspend for a rental car and accommodation in Wellington/Palmerston North made national news over the weekend, when deputy Mayor Nobby Clark declined to approve it. Instead it came up on the agenda today for councillors to decide on together.
Councillor Alex Crackett highlighted some of Mayor Tim’s past spending, prior to council establishing a Sensitive Expenditure Policy in 2018.
First there was the $1800+ liquor bill and then the $19,000 on books and magazines showcasing himself personally back in 2016.
“I do really hold integrity in the fact that when I travel for council, I won’t incur extra costs to the company that is not a business cost.”
She said if council allowed an extra $500 in expenditure every time Sir Tim travelled around New Zealand, and he does this several times a year, it all added up.
“It’s the principle,” she said.
Councillor Lindsay Abbott believed it was a paltry sum that shouldn’t even be discussed, and wanted to see the respect given to the Office of the Mayor and his costs met in some way.
But Clark pointed out that last year at the LGNZ conference in Blenheim, Sir Tim also sought costs for a rental car for his family, and it was declined.
The Sensitive Expenditure Policy highlights that private travel with spouses and family has to be paid for personally.
Councillor Allan Arnold said he doubted that Sir Tim would’ve been able to travel to the conference on his own and unaccompanied anyway.
Councillor Peter Kett believed sending eight representatives (including mana whenua) to the conference was an “overkill,” at a cost of $3000 per person.
The meeting was chaired by councillor Darren Ludlow and Sir Tim was asked to refrain from being involved in the debate.
Ludlow said in the grand scheme of things, and for the sake of $500, “ personally I think this is frustrating and the timing of it is mischievous, unhelpful and a distraction.”
A motion was made to have the extra costs covered, and everyone agreed except Clark.