Wellington North has a new way of paying its council members.
There will be a flat rate of $17,000 for councillors and $27,000 for the mayor. In the past, members of council got a flat rate plus an additional rate depending on the number of meetings attended.
Mayor Andy Lennox says the new flat rate is based on an average of what was paid during the last three years, so it will not cost the municipality anything extra.
But councillor Sherry Burke voted against the change, saying the old system where councillors got paid partly by the number of meetings attended, was more accountable to taxpayers.
And councillor Dan Yake says he will not be accepting about $4,000 that will result from the new flat rate payment.
