Auckland Transport yesterday confirmed the appointment of Dean Kimpton as chief executive following an initial 18-month fixed term contract. Kimpton’s salary package, including a performance bonus, will be up to $713,000.

Commenting, Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesperson, Sam Warren, said:

“Kimpton is one of the highest-paid bureaucrats in the country. On no planet should he be earning more than Auckland Council’s own chief executive, let alone nearly a fifth more.

"Mayor Wayne Brown has also been very vocal about this same expectation, however the largely unelected Auckland Transport board that sets the chief executive’s salary does not think the mayor’s views are worth listening to, which highlights a very big problem.

“It’s long been an open secret that Mayor Brown wanted Kimpton gone once his fixed term contract ended, hoping that the recruitment process would be opened so others could apply.

True to form, the board of Auckland Transport weren't interested and shut this down, saying ‘Dean is our man’ despite his tenure being a disaster so far.

“Most Aucklanders will be wondering how Kimpton has earned the right to be the highest paid bureaucrat in Auckland Council and its CCOs, with a plurality of Aucklanders thinking AT’s performance is below average in a June poll.

“The same poll showed 59% of Aucklanders wanted Auckland Transport to be directly accountable to elected officials in Council, which is now likely the only solution left to get a handle on the defiant beast that is AT.”

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