I have been reading with some interest recent letters to the Editor on the topic of ‘TCC City Partners'.
It has always disturbed me that this scheme was ever put in place as it has the potential to be nothing more than 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours”. Certainly large sums of money are paid out by TCC to City Partners on various tenders and contracts.
As I recall somewhere around $120m. over the three years up to June 2009 and only around $3m. was invested by the City Partners into projects, most of that money coming from Charitable Trusts like TECT, Lion Foundation, NZ Charitable Trust, etc. who would contribute anyway. It looks like a one-way conduit / street with little or no benefit to TCC residents and ratepayers, in fact quite the opposite. The tendering process reeks of cronyism, either perceived or real.
I would certainly endorse Roger Bailey's call for a Local Government Commissioner to be appointed to run Tauranga City Council affairs, to put them in order and clean out the nest in readiness for a fresh start. Details of every major contract or transaction that Council enters into must be made available for public scrutiny and inspection. It is no good TCC citing confidentiality and commercial sensitivity for not coming clean. After all, it is Tauranga residents and ratepayers' money being spent by our servants.
S Paterson, Matapihi.