Hobart’s general manager can spend up to $250,000 for the Lord Mayor’s support budget

HOBART City Council’s general manager has a significant sum to spend on any item for the Lord Mayor in their “support budget”.

Former Lord Mayor Sue Hickey in front of Town Hall in the robes and hat that come with the office. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

HOBART City Council’s general manager has the power to spend up to $250,000 on any item for the Lord Mayor in their “support budget”.

And other delegated staff positions are also able to spend thousands for the Lord Mayor.

The spending has included new lord mayoral robes and hat in 2015, costing the council $27,202.62.

As part of the council’s Division of the General Manager, the position of Lord Mayor also comes with a “support” budget that for the past two years has been more than $520,000 a year.

The Lord Mayoral support budget is for the day-to-day running of the office of the Lord Mayor.

Hobart’s $500,000-plus a year pales in comparison with the $3.6 million Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has available for her office.

And as part of this, the general manager of Hobart has the delegated authority from the council to spend up to $250,000 for “all line items” in the budget.

That included the new Lord Mayoral robes and a hat in 2015 — a purchase which the Mercury has been told was largely unknown to Hobart aldermen.

The council’s general manager, Nick Heath, said the new robes and hat — which were less than the amount that was approved in the council’s plant and equipment budget for the 2015/16 financial year — came about because the garments worn by lord mayors since late in Doone Kennedy’s term as Lord Mayor from 1986 to 1996 required extensive alteration and repair and were nearing the end of their serviceable life.

Former Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey, who handed over the reins to Deputy Ron Christie after winning a seat in State Parliament, had to wear the robes purchased during Sir Basil Osborne’s term as Lord Mayor from 1959 to 1970.

Mr Heath said the old robes were on public display at Town Hall.

“The [new] robes are the property of the council and are not that of the Lord Mayor and are sized to suit a man or a woman and will be worn by future lord mayors,” he said.

Every lord mayor around the country has a robe, as do council mayors in Tasmania such as Glenorchy, Clarence and Launceston.

Governor Kate Warner and then-Lord Mayor Sue Hickey during an ANZAC Day parade. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Ald Hickey said the robes suffered a lot of wear and tear.

“As a capital city we have more ceremonial duties and the public love to see the gown,” she said.

“They literally want to touch it and have photos taken with you in it.”

But Hobart aldermen are raising questions about the amount of power staff have to splash the cash.

The Lord Mayor’s project and executive officer can approve spending up to $5000, the group manager of executive and economic development up to $100,000 and the general manager up to $250,000 for all line items in the support budget.

And while the particular staff members have delegated approval from the council, not all the items that money is spent on goes before the full council.

Recently the council acquired a $20,000 Tasmanian blackwood sideboard that is on permanent display in the Lord Mayor’s Courtroom that is used for meetings and civic functions.

That did go before aldermen and Alderman Peter Sexton said it would be beneficial for all aldermen to know what spending takes place for the Office of the Lord Mayor.

“We should be able to see what the money is being spent on, as we did with the sideboard which was a worthwhile purchase for the council,” he said.