Governance

Your elected council are the governors of the city. Administration is the job of the Chief Executive and her team.

Governance

Our governance statement describes how we carry out our local government responsibilities and promote democracy in our community. This document is prepared at the start of each three-year term.


What are the Mayor and Councillors Responsible for?

  • setting Porirua City’s policy direction
  • monitoring how the council performs
  • representing the city’s interests
  • employing the chief executive (who employs all other staff on behalf of the council).


Elected Member Remuneration

Elected members are entitled to be paid for the work undertaken. This remuneration is generally by way of a base salary.

A remuneration pool is set by the Remuneration Authority.

The pool is more than the minimum amount that can be paid to each Councillor, so the Council recommends to the Remuneration Authority on how to how to allocate the rest of the money between elected members. The Remuneration Authority also directly sets the pay of the mayor.

The Council must allocate all of the pool. Elected members are required to accept the allocated remuneration. Some expenses are also reimbursed.

Mayor

The remuneration of the Mayor is set at $151,954.

Councillors

The minimum pay following the 2022 local elections for a Councillor will be: $42,136.

At its meeting on 10 November, the Council resolved to recommend that the Remuneration Authority allocate the pool to reflect the positions of added responsibility the Council has established. The Remuneration Authority has issued a Determination in December 2022 to allocate the pool to Councillors. The Pool will be allocated as follows:

Position Remuneration ($) Date effective from
Deputy Mayor 70,000 11 November 2022
Chair Committee of the Whole (Heamana Tuatahi) 65,250 11 November 2022
Chair Committee of the Whole (Heamana Tuarua) 65,250 11 November 2022
Chair Chief Executive Employment Committee 58,734 11 November 2022
Chair Wastewater Treatment Plant and Landfill Joint Committee 59,000 11 November 2022
Councillor with no additional responsibilities 55,000 15 October 2022
Councillor (minimum allowable remuneration) 42,136 15 October 2022

Please see the Local Government Members (2022/23) Amendment Determination (No 3) 2022 for more information.


The Local Government Act 2002

The Local Government Act 2002 sets out:

  • how the Council is run
  • how Council meetings work
  • what we can do
  • how we charge rates.

We have responsibilities under other Aotearoa New Zealand laws as well, such as the Resource Management Act and Environment Act. We can also make our own Bylaws.


The Mayor’s role

Your Mayor

Anita is the Mayor of Porirua City. She was elected in 2019, and reelected in 2022 for a term of three years. Say kia ora when you spot her.


As one of the elected members, the Mayor shares the same responsibilities as other councillors and also:

  • presides over Council meetings and makes sure they’re conducted in an orderly way.
  • promotes our City and represents its interests.
  • acts as the civic and ceremonial head of Porirua City,  including swearing in new citizens.
  • gives leadership and feedback to the councillors.

The Mayor can also:

  • act as a Justice of the Peace.
  • call a meeting of the Council.
  • declare a civil defence emergency.


The Deputy Mayor’s role

Your Deputy Mayor

Councillors are here to represent your views. Have a yarn with them about your ideas for your local area when you see them.


The Mayor appoints the Deputy Mayor at the first Council meeting after the local body election. The Deputy Mayor has the same roles as other councillors, but fulfils the Mayor’s responsibilities if they’re absent or incapacitated, or if the office of Mayor is vacant.

The Council can vote to remove the Deputy Mayor from their role as Deputy Mayor.


The committee chairperson’s role

A committee chairperson presides over the committee’s meetings and makes sure it acts within the powers the Council has given it.  

The Council can vote to remove a committee chairperson from their role as chairperson.


Conduct of councillors

There are legal requirements for how elected council members must act and carry out their duties: