The Otago Regional Council plans to spend more than $20 million on staff next year as it adds scores of new workers to its ranks. Council chief executive Sarah Gardner said the 2020-21 draft annual plan budget of $75,494,000 next year includes $20,630,087 in salaries — an increase of $3,649,432 over this year’s $16,980,655. The council would add 38.1 full-time equivalent positions (FTE) to its staff of 208 permanent and fixed-term staff, moving from a budgeted 203.2 FTEs to 241.3 FTEs. ‘‘Our 2020-21 Annual Plan recognises that we have urgent work to do, and that ORC has not been adequately resourced in the past. ‘‘We have been implementing and accelerating the recommendations of these reports, and responding to our community’s desire for ORC to do more.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 06, 2020 15:22 UTC