Marryatt may keep $34,000

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Embattled Christchurch City Council chief executive Tony Marryatt has rejected a controversial $68,000 pay rise, but may hold on to the more than $34,000 he has already been paid.

After a meeting between Local Government Minister Nick Smith, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and councillors yesterday, Mayor Bob Parker announced Marryatt had declined his 14.4 per cent salary increase.

Smith also announced the Government had decided to appoint former Local Government New Zealand chairman Kerry Marshall as a crown observer to assist the council.

Marshall would provide advice to Parker, councillors and Marryatt, and would report back to Smith when necessary.

Marryatt said last night his rejection of the pay rise was a sign of his commitment to Christchurch, the council and its staff.

"There has been a lot of public opinion against the council's decision to increase my salary. I don't want the issue around my pay to affect the rebuild of this great city."

However, he said he would only return the money he had received to date if councillors worked together.

"The councillors said today they would work together collegially. If they can be true to this commitment, I will make a similar commitment in the same spirit of good faith and will give back any increase I've received to date."

His pay increase had been backdated to July 1 last year, meaning he has already been paid more than $34,000. After the pay rise, Marryatt's total annual salary was $538,529.

Mayor Bob Parker praised Marryatt's decision to decline the pay rise. "I think it is a gesture of tremendous faith and belief in the council and our desire to work together, and I thank him for that."

The pay rise has attracted widespread criticism, with a group of residents planning a protest outside the council's Hereford St offices to voice their concerns.

No Payrise For Tony Marryatt protest organiser Peter Lynch said the protest would still go ahead on Wednesday. Marryatt's decision was "too little too late", and protesters would ask him to give back the money he had already been paid.

"He is not God. He is a civil servant and nothing has changed," he said. "I can't believe that is all he has done ... he should've been fired."

Lynch vowed to continuing fighting the council until further action was taken.

The group was expecting "thousands" to turn up to the protest.

Wider Earthquake Communities' Action Network spokesman, the Rev Mike Coleman, said Marryatt should resign.

"He had to be told to turn down the pay rise. That's the kind of integrity that this man has."

Marryatt had fought only for himself and never for the people of Canterbury, he said.

Aspiring Christchurch City councillor and outgoing Christ Church Cathedral Dean Peter Beck said it was about time Marryatt said "thank-you but no thank-you".

Previously, Marryatt had justified his pay rise based on the market rate and his performance, that his role had "grown immensely" since the February earthquake and because he was committed to Christchurch and its rebuild.

- © Fairfax NZ News