Christchurch City Council will leave a decision about a $90,000 pay rise for its interim chief executive, Jane Parfitt, for the incoming council to decide.
The council spent its last public meeting behind closed doors, debating whether it should approve the sum.
The allowance would take Mrs Parfitt's remuneration to $415,755, but she would still receive $122,000 less than her predecessor, Tony Marryatt.
The council will ask the State Services Commission for its opinion on appropriate remuneration for Mrs Parfitt, but says she has taken on significant responsibilities since she stepped into the role in July.
Mr Marryatt was sent on leave in July pending a Crown investigation into the council's loss of its consent accreditation, and will be paid his full salary until the end of November.
