Councillor Faulkner is deluding himself by glossing over what he sees as some big issues for Council. They aren't big, they are major – Route K, Historic Village, TCVL, Tauranga Indoor Sports Centre, Leaky Homes and he conveniently overlooks his huge pet lemon, the Southern Pipeline which will swamp all the rest combined. Up to $1/2 billion predicted needed by 2015 for this totally unnecessary venture. He doesn't appreciate ‘A' credit rating is one about junk bond status and the plus has only come about by creative accounting, and mish mash figures put out for public consumption.
Council Committee structures are a non event. Why don't all elected Councillors sit on all Committees then they would be up with the play. Well-managed money – that's a joke, right? Choosing a new CEO certainly is a key appointment yet Cr Faulkner hasn't seemed to appreciate that for the past nine years or so. Let's for just once get it right and select a real CEO at the proper remuneration too, not $400,000 per annum. Plus let's have some skill in the management and governance fields for a change along with a knowledge and appreciation of what democracy and transparency really means. Lip service won't do! Nice if Councillors could claim back the high ground by understanding and accepting responsibility for all the major decisions made, not just rubber stamping them on the say so of one or two individuals. Cr Faulkner may like to tell us what the progress is with Mayor Crosby's pre-election outburst made at a mayoral debate that the 2011 rates increases would be reduced from 17.8% to around 8%. Where is the TCC Staff review going on this? Also Deputy Mayor Stewart's election hot air on the ‘free' CBD parking trials seems to have drifted off into never never land.
Cr. Faulkner's reference to the Mount Greens opening is a painful reminder about this disgraceful episode with TCC ratepayers throwing away at least $11.5 million on the project, and loss of valuable TCC industrial land worth over $10 million.
MS Senior, Mt Maunganui.