Last week was reported that TCC had 506 FTE (full time equivalent) staff. Wage bill is now $35,600,000 pa, having increased from $19,000,000 in the 2005/2006 year. A 187% increase in cost in five years. However this doesn't present the full picture of how many staff Council actually have directly or indirectly.
The following appear not to have been included: -
City Care are paid about $27-30m pa, about 120+; Former staff members now on Contract: Malcolm Gibb (ex CFO) and Terry Wynyard (TCC disaster manager now in CHCH) 20+; Pools, Baypark, BOPLASS and other related entities (Council Owned Companies) perhaps another 110+ ; A raft of consultants, experts and others, how many?; Sundry road works and maintenance, now all contracted out, who knows?
End result is that the mushrooming staff numbers represents a large part of the huge rate increase of recent years but what fails to materialise is the same increase in meaningful services to all the ‘ Turkeys', Tauranga ratepayers.
The obvious conclusion is that typically Bill Faulkner and others have failed to provide a complete and clear list, truthfully, of how many are really wandering around TCC and what the true cost is to ‘Us Turkeys'. . Bill Faulkner's weekly spindoctoring in the Sun attempts to present himself as an open honest messenger; when in fact he has been at the forefront over many years, of the Proven Leadership Team; having said yes & actively pushed for these massive borrowings and costs we (the Turkeys) are now staggering under.
B Beckett, Tauranga.

Cr Faulkner responds:
It is true that my column is an open honest message but it is a long shot to say I have been at the forefront of the activities that caused the problems. Mostly in fact I have been at odds with the ‘majority'. In fact if your correspondent is honest then he/she would have noted my opposition to Ratepayer funding of Baywave, Art Gallery operating grant, Waterfront Museum, Regional Council Office at Sulphur Pt to name a few examples.
Projects I am involved in mostly come in at budget or under. The Water microfiltration for instance was delivered on time, to specification 20% under budget. The 'extra” staff referred to are in fact contractors, contracted for specific tasks and are not on staff. CCOs are not directly ratepayer funded. Terry Wynyard is no longer employed by Tauranga City. The lovely city that Tauranga is to live in doesn't come easy or cheap and I'm relaxed that my contribution is a balance, albeit a fine one, of keeping the City functioning whilst trying to contain costs. Bill Faulkner.