Cosford to chair hearings committee

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 618, 28 December 1995, Page 5

Cosford to chair hearings committee

Former deputy mayor Graeme Cosford has been reappointed chairman of the Ruapehu District Council' s hearings committee. This follows debate on whether a single chairperson should be elected, as in the past, or the hearings committee should elect a chairperson for each hearing. The committee saw the advantages of having a single chairperson as being: a need to have an experienced chairperson and experience is gained from acting as chairperson; chairing a hearings committee is a specialist skill; the skills needed are separate from those needed by a hearings committee member; the roles are different; having a single chairperson would provide the committee with a professional appearance. The committee saw the disadvantages as being: the cost of the chairperson' s salary (up to $10,500 according to the Local Government Act 1974); and the need for the chairperson to be available for all meetings. Cr Bobby Vine moved that Cr Cosford be the chairman and that the salary be $5000 (the council amended this to $5775 to match the salary of a community board chairperson). Councillors generally agreed that Mr Cosford had gained

the skills needed and that he did a professional job of running the meetings. Cr Turley asked if he was aware that no hearings committee chairman has ever been elected mayor.