The Waitaki District Council has developed a policy to ensure its staff spending is "transparent, conservative and justifiable", setting limits on what staff can spend on travel, accommodation, entertainment and the like when conducting council business.
The council’s "sensitive expenditure policy" — completed last year on the recommendation of Audit New Zealand in 2018 — was provided to the Otago Daily Times after a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request late last year, but the ODT was asked to narrow the "scope" of its inquiry into expenses incurred under the policy as any response would be "administratively challenging".
Council finance and corporate development group manager Paul Hope was asked about the policy at the November 12 meeting of the council’s performance, audit and risk meeting, as it was listed as completed in his finance and corporate development group activity report for that month.
At the time he told councillors it was related to expenses the council wanted to keep off the "front page" in media reports.
Last month, he said "the policy was designed to address a potential issue, rather than an actual one".
"If you follow these [rules], we believe they will stand up to any kind of scrutiny from the public," he said.
"And that it is an appropriate use of ratepayers’ money — and that’s why it covers a whole bunch of things.
"We don’t have a line in the ledger saying this is sensitive expenditure ... It’s more guidance."
The policy states sensitive expenditure is that which could potentially result in a perceived or real private gain to an individual; is considered an "unusual" expense for the council; is "not directly aligned" with the council’s normal business; could involve a legal or ethical conflict of interest; or could be seen as "extravagant".
Council staff can spend up to $250 a night on accommodation in cities and $200 a night in ‘‘non-metro’’ areas.
They can spend up to $40 on breakfast, $25 on lunch and $60 on dinner.
The council said it would provide the ODT with the council’s spending on airfares and accommodation during the 2018-19 financial year later this month.
