Auckland Mayor Phil Goff marks a year in office this weekend. But the shine may have come off with details emerging of a $42 million budget blowout on salaries and almost $13 million spent on redundancies.
There's also been a 25 percent jump in the number of people working at the council being paid more than $200,000 a year.
Mr Goff says he's "pleased with some of the things achieved" but the outcome of lobbying government on transport and infrastructure funding is still in the balance.
Once a Labour cabinet minister and party leader, he talked to RNZ Auckland correspondent Todd Niall but wouldn't say which way he hopes coalition negotiations will fall.
Phil Goff on mayoral 1st anniversary on why proposed 105 apartment council devpt excludes affordables pic.twitter.com/rpEgyOzlhG
— Todd Niall (@toddniall) October 5, 2017
Phil Goff's mayoral 1st anniversary - reflects on 2.5pc rate rise pledge pic.twitter.com/thE0RxRExP
— Todd Niall (@toddniall) October 5, 2017
