Auckland's Mayor has dubbed Local Government New Zealand "a waste of money".

Wayne Brown used his casting vote on leaving Local Government NZ at a council meeting today.

Brown says some councillors were treating the $640,000 membership like "coins down the back of the couch".

"But if we don't start counting $650,000 coins regularly, we're going to end up with another $295 million dollar hole."

LGNZ president Stuart Crosby says Auckland's membership would have given the city more than a million-dollars a year in savings.

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