I wrote three years ago commenting on the number of TCC employees – all on salaries higher than the average – in spite of the fact that the majority of ratepayer owned or indebted facilities and services, were leased or contracted to private enterprise.
According to Faulkner's Corner in the Weekend Sun of 17/12/2010 the number of Tauranga Council employees has risen from 410 to 505 in the last 3 years!
This means an increase of 23% in TCC ‘paper shufflers' over 3 years with a salary/wage packet increase of some $5million plus sick and holiday pay, extra office space, air conditioning, and computers.
In the light of the recent and ensuing recession, TCC must be the only growth ‘industry' in the Bay of Plenty – but what is the gain for the average ratepayer?
R. Jordan, Merivale.