Update
February 22, 12pm
Cambridge councillor Roger Gordon remains the lowest paid elected member following mayor Susan O’Regan’s decision to change committee membership while Mike Montgomerie is now the highest paid councillor.
Elected members’ pays:
Mayor Susan O’Regan $135,500, Mike Montgomerie $62,508, deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk $58,341, Clare St Pierre $56,257, Lou Brown, Bruce Thomas, Phillip Coles Mike Pettit, Dale-Maree Morgan $50,006, Marcus Gower $47,923, Andrew Brown $45,839, Roger Gordon $43,755.
Community boards: Cambridge chair – Jo Davies-Colley $19,060, members $9530; Te Awamutu chair – Angela Holt $18,404, members $9202.
Update 5.30pm
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk has clarified that she resigned as chair of the Strategic Planning and Policy committee earlier this week.
February 21, 2025 – 4.40pm
Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk has been replaced as chair of the powerful Strategic Planning and Policy committee and removed from the Chief Executive Performance Management committee.
Susan O’Regan, who chaired the committee for a term before her 2022 election as mayor, takes it back again in what she terms a “Cabinet reshuffle.”
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, left, and mayor Susan O’Regan during the parade for the international dragon boat festival two years ago. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
“Good governance practice requires refresh, renewal and focus of energy and resource,” she said in a memo to next week’s council meeting revealing she was exercising her powers under the Local Government Act.
Mike Montgomerie
The other big winner from O’Regan’s reshuffle is Maungatautari ward councillor Mike Montgomerie who, along with a pay increase, becomes chair of the Finance and Corporate committee.
He replaces Andrew Brown who has already announced he is not restanding for council at September’s local body elections. Brown moves to deputy chair replacing veteran councillor Bruce Thomas, who is also standing down.
Cambridge councillor Mike Pettit, whose experience and talent had been largely ignored this term, becomes deputy chair of the strategic committee and remains deputy chair of the Service Delivery committee, chaired by Clare St Pierre.
Mike Pettit
The News asked Pettit earlier this week if rumours he was considering a tilt at mayor were serious and he would not comment.
Stolwyk confirmed the reshuffle allowed councillors who did not have leadership opportunities to shine.
“There would be no one around the table who would suggest I did not do a good job as chair of the committee.
“But my workload has been heavy, and this is balancing the mayor and deputy mayor roles a bit better.”
Ken Morris
The changes come in the same week long-serving deputy chief executive Ken Morris announced his resignation which The News understands came as a “bombshell” to staff.
It also comes after the council rubber stamped staff recommendations to move council and committee meetings to Wednesdays and to take out “information only” papers from agendas.
“This refresh dovetails into the work done recently around our meeting cadence and where changes have been made in striving for best governance arrangements prioritising focus, efficiency of staff and elected member time and energy to enable improved more strategic decision-making,” said O’Regan in the memo.
The council meets next Wednesday in Te Awamutu where councillors will rubber stamp the Local Water Done Well workshop decision to go with a regional council controlled organisation of seven councils.
