Month: May 2024
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Our Rates For 2034
The total average residential rates, including water and Regional Council rates by 2034 is estimated at approximately $12,000 per year, or higher. The average Tauranga City Council residential rates are approximately $3500. If we add average Regional Council rates (approx. $600), and average water rates (approx. $600), the total average residential rates for 2024 are…
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John Robson Has Had His Hair Cut
John Robson had vowed not to have his hair cut until the commissioners leave office at Tauranga City Council. We were worried that the commissioners reign might have been extended for a further 4 years. Secretly, I think John was worried too. He was already having trouble seeing where he was going (Johns Website). The…
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Too Many Consultants
More managers means more consultants. So where we have too many managers (seagulls), we also seem to have too many consultants (ducks), all looking for food (rates). In 2022-23 Tauranga City Council spent nearly $56million on consultants (LGOIMA request /2024/q4/150524). Airport 326,538 Animal Services 16,233 Arts & Culture 2,030,759 Asset Divestment and Leveraging 104,424 Asset…
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Too Many Managers
And not enough ratepayers. Tauranga City Council has too many managers (seagulls). For the 2022-23 year there were 1033.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees working for Tauranga City Council (2023 Annual Report). Over the same period there were 190.5 managers (LGOIMA request 2024/q4/90524). This means that there are 843 non managerial staff, with one manager per…
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The Commissioners Are Leaving
Local democracy is returning to Tauranga in July. The final election results will be announced between the 23rd and 25th of July. The new Mayor and Councillors will take charge and the commissioners will leave. We wish them Good Speed (not a spelling mistake). The commissioners have left a long list of things for the…
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Reorganising Council
Marty Grenfell (above) is the chief executive (CE) of Tauranga City Council. The CE reports to the Mayor and councillors. The CE is employed by the Mayor and councillors, and is responsible for employing and managing all other council staff. The council structure is defined by law in the Local Government Act (the LGA). The…
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Council Debt
Tauranga Council has the highest debt per capita in New Zealand (see the below chart). These figures have been prepared by John Robson (Johns Website). Total council debt including off the books IFF debt is estimated at around $3 billion by 2034. The graph below shows the estimated debt, $2.5 billion by 2030. The debt…
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Capital Expenses For The CBD
The commissioners have committed Tauranga Council to spend over one billion dollars of capital spend on the CBD These figures include inflation, but do not include cost overruns. The final tally will be much higher (SBOP City Center Capital Spend). There will also be interest and running costs of tens of millions of dollars a…