The mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown, has come under scrutiny for his council’s spending on legal firms and consultants. In a council meeting on July 27, Brown criticized the council’s spending, stating that some expenses did not meet the “reasonableness” test. The mayor’s office has been criticized for cherry-picking journalists and for spending money that was allocated for independent research and city development. Attempts by Stuff, the publication that obtained the records, to interview the mayor regarding the legal expenses have been unsuccessful. The revelation of these high legal costs raises further concerns about the council’s spending habits and the need for greater oversight and accountability.
