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 incoming council to fix. To mention a few:
- Tauranga council has the lowest approval rating of any council in New Zealand ( see Scoop and The Post).
- Tauranga has the highest rates of any city in New Zealand (Ratepayers Report).
- Tauranga is the fifth most unaffordable city in the world for housing (New Zealand Herald).
- Tauranga is projected to have the highest per capita debt of any city in New Zealand.
- Back room deals like the Mount high rise fiasco.
- Hidden sale of the marine precinct.
- An unaffordable one million dollar spend on the CBD.
- Lack of consultation unless you are a developer or big business.
- Boat ramp and community organisation charges.
- Durham street bus fiasco.
- A funding and rates mess.
- Bloated ineffective council organisation.
Fly in, make a mess, fly out again, leaving someone else to clean up the mess. Seagull politics at its best.
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