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Kapiti Coast ratepayers picket outside council offices - Source: ONE News
Kapiti Coast District Council chief executive Pat Dougherty. - Source: KC News -
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The Kapiti Mayor is defending the payrise given to her council's CEO in the face of angry protests from locals.
Around 300 placard-waving ratepayers called for Kapiti District Councilors to lose their jobs today as they picketed against Pat Dougherty's $44,000 payrise and a $10 million blowout on major projects.
Mayor Jenny Rowan was in the firing line of the protesters for allowing the payrise to occur, although, she defends the increase.
"I think he's the best we've had in this district to be blunt, we need to secure his services."
The man who disclosed the blowout and pay rise for its CEO, former regional councilor Chris Turver, said it showed an essentially conservative population has lost patience with its council.
Turver said that is reflected in a level of outrage never seen before in the area.
He said his phone has run hot and it's clear that email, phone and social networks "have been working overtime across the district".
Turver said even Kapiti Coast District Council staff - who say they are under tight pay constraints - have phoned him to complain about the scale of the chief executive's pay rise and the signals that sends about double standards.
The protest at Paraparaumu follows one in Christchurch when
residents staged a mass protest against their council's CEO being
given a $68,000 pay increase, though Tony Marryatt subsequently
turned down that rise.
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