A good majority of new Councillors will have all stated that they want low rates etc etc during the election campaign, including many of the already existing ones.Good on them.
Now they are all being sworn in and the first thing they will find is that there is a 5 or 10 year Annual Plan already in place and in many cases showing already planned quite high increases indicated.
Common sense needs to prevail in all councils especially Wellington. Born and bred here in Wellington in 1947 and have never seen it in such a state of decline. Plenty of underused cycleways but very little else. Started in the Celia Brown era and has snowballed since then. Dirty and unkempt city and suburban streets. So called homeless sleeping in businesses doorways, not a good look for tourists visiting a city that I used to be proud of showing off to visitors.
Here in Selwyn our past Mayor has learned the lesson, he lost his job. Problem is , it's the CEO who's really in charge. My property value is spiralling up , it's the council through Quotable Value that determines the value, so the council can earn more. Further more the council has a miriad of employees who do unnecessary jobs that I get charge for on top of rates, we also pay extra for rubbish when we buy council rubbish bags, it just goes on and on.
It would be fair to say that ratepayers have been let down by Mayors and Councillors by not giving the directive to chief executives and demand they cut the budgets and learn to live within what communities are able to afford now and into the future. Isn't that what their governance role demands.
The real problem is that councils have assumed non-essential "duties" that have nothing to do with the provision of what I call "essential services" (rather than "core services"). They are more-or-less similar but using the word "essential" makes it easier to decide what councils should be doing on behalf of their ratepayers. Services that are used every day by everyone should come first: everybody relies on two of the three waters: supply and disposal (of waste water) every day. Most people use roads and pavements every day; and everyone needs their "solid waste" (aka rubbish) disposed of. Everyone benefits from street lighting.
Few benefit from cycleways or new footpaths, or sports facilities (indoor or outdoor), etc.
Councils must be required by law to provide and pay ALL costs associated with assets that deliver these essential services before any other. Statutory services (licensing, etc. can and must be self-funded).
It really is simple.
Don't just cap spending, force councils to behave responsibly by prioritising essentials BY LAW.
All councillors now need to be asking their senior bureaucrats whether they still want to work for them and also set realistic KPIs that need to be adhered to.
A good majority of new Councillors will have all stated that they want low rates etc etc during the election campaign, including many of the already existing ones.Good on them.
Now they are all being sworn in and the first thing they will find is that there is a 5 or 10 year Annual Plan already in place and in many cases showing already planned quite high increases indicated.
Now that is going to be very interesting.
Councillors are hamstrung by their bureaucrats - the best thing to do is clean out the bureaucracy
Same with the Government. The bureaucrats have too much power.
I live in the Waitaki district.
Since 2022 my rate increases have been year by year.
30%, 25% I’m not seeing a 55% increase in service.
Common sense needs to prevail in all councils especially Wellington. Born and bred here in Wellington in 1947 and have never seen it in such a state of decline. Plenty of underused cycleways but very little else. Started in the Celia Brown era and has snowballed since then. Dirty and unkempt city and suburban streets. So called homeless sleeping in businesses doorways, not a good look for tourists visiting a city that I used to be proud of showing off to visitors.
Here in Selwyn our past Mayor has learned the lesson, he lost his job. Problem is , it's the CEO who's really in charge. My property value is spiralling up , it's the council through Quotable Value that determines the value, so the council can earn more. Further more the council has a miriad of employees who do unnecessary jobs that I get charge for on top of rates, we also pay extra for rubbish when we buy council rubbish bags, it just goes on and on.
It quite simple they have fallen into the debt trap and now are being swallowed up by massive ongoing intrest bills that will get bigger and bigger
I really think 🤔 it too late
It would be fair to say that ratepayers have been let down by Mayors and Councillors by not giving the directive to chief executives and demand they cut the budgets and learn to live within what communities are able to afford now and into the future. Isn't that what their governance role demands.
I believe in some cases the CEO just rides roughshod over the mayors, and legislation brought in by the Ardern Govt has hog tied many councillors.
I worry that because the UN agenda 2030 is embedded in our gov and councils that change will be hard! Am I right or wrong? 😑
The real problem is that councils have assumed non-essential "duties" that have nothing to do with the provision of what I call "essential services" (rather than "core services"). They are more-or-less similar but using the word "essential" makes it easier to decide what councils should be doing on behalf of their ratepayers. Services that are used every day by everyone should come first: everybody relies on two of the three waters: supply and disposal (of waste water) every day. Most people use roads and pavements every day; and everyone needs their "solid waste" (aka rubbish) disposed of. Everyone benefits from street lighting.
Few benefit from cycleways or new footpaths, or sports facilities (indoor or outdoor), etc.
Councils must be required by law to provide and pay ALL costs associated with assets that deliver these essential services before any other. Statutory services (licensing, etc. can and must be self-funded).
It really is simple.
Don't just cap spending, force councils to behave responsibly by prioritising essentials BY LAW.
All councillors now need to be asking their senior bureaucrats whether they still want to work for them and also set realistic KPIs that need to be adhered to.