Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s senior leadership team is choosing to donate from their salaries, and has offered to forego any salary increase in the coming financial year, in response to COVID-19’s local impact.

Chief Executive Fiona McTavish says she is incredibly proud of her leadership team members for their show of leadership and solidarity in opting to donate 10 percent of their salaries for a six-month period.

The leadership team comprises Ms McTavish and five senior people leaders.

“We’re exploring the Acorn Foundation as a vehicle to ensure the benefit of our donations is maximised and directed to those in our regional communities who have been most impacted by the current situation. We know a lot of people are struggling and we feel that making a contribution is the right thing to do.”

“The Acorn Foundation has established a COVID-19 rapid response fund that can deliver region-wide support. This model of ‘work-place giving’ also provides an avenue for our wider staff and Councillors to anonymously donate to the fund via our payroll system, but clearly, this is a private matter for individuals to consider based on their own circumstances,” Ms McTavish concludes.

The regional council is also awaiting a Remuneration Authority determination on any changes to elected member salaries, which it will consider at a future meeting.

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