City Partners Programme concerns me and the more questions, the more apprehensive I become. It is suspect because it reeks of potential nepotism and the public perception that there is something not quite right about it. The Tauranga City Council half page response in last week's Weekend Sun took TCC spin-doctors ages to compile to put the best spin forward. Council staff have not been usually noted for being open, professional or forthright. If it wasn't for TECT (a City Partner) throwing millions of dollars at least $15m at last count into failing Council ‘funny farm' projects, Tauranga wouldn't be overspending on these idiotic things and incurring debt.
TCC contracts and City Partners contributions simply do not stack up, suggesting it is not in residents' or ratepayers' best interests. As to Mayor Crosby's invitation to front the Council, who in their right mind would bother? Until Council puts all the facts and figures on the table and shows some honesty, then it's a waste of everyone's time. The current TCC response neither addresses the underlying issues not does it (nor to TCC ever) for that matter really answer the questions. Just publish the full list of payments in/out for starters. (abridged)
MS Senior, Mount Maunganui.