Outgoing council chief lines up golden parachute (From This is The West Country)

Outgoing council chief lines up golden parachute

12:00pm Monday 11th March 2013 in Cornwall

The outgoing Cornwall Council chief executive Kevin Lavery has already lined himself a "golden parachute" if political changes mean he loses his new New Zealand job.

Details of Mr Lavery's contract, and the cost to NZ taxpayers of his move down under, were released to the Kiwi newspaper The Dominion Post.

It reports taxpayers already had to fork out money to fly him to the country for interview and he will receive a $40,000 relocation bonus to help his family make the move.

Wellington City Council have agreed a payment of up to $200,000, half his $400,000 annual salary, if he loses his job in a "super-city" regional amalgamation before his five year contact is complete.

The high cost of the appointment has already been branded "absurd" by one councillor in Wellington

Councillor John Morrison said: "We've got a new CEO from Cornwall, and we don't know what we're getting. He's cost us a bomb to get, and he'll cost us a bomb if he goes."