From background enquiries made, it appears a select group of businesses, both large and small, pay money to TCC to be called Tauranga City Partners/Project Partners. Most of those businesses have direct dealings with TCC. Total amount of Partners initial subscriptions is reasonably substantial but it is not readily apparent what is done with the moneys received from Partners subscriptions.
Questions that need answers are: - Is this scheme interfering with open and fair competition in the tendering system for Council projects and has this scheme the potential to cost TCC ratepayers rather than benefitting them?
The bottom line is that there are no free lunches! Council paid out contract moneys of $120.8 million to City/Project Partners in the three years up to June 2009 and the Recipients paid about $5 million into the Scheme but $3.5 million of this came from charities and only $1.5 million from actual business. (Source TCC Report, March 2010).
Consideration needs to be given to;
Terminating the scheme at the first opportunity.
Ensure only proper and transparent tendering processes for the benefit of ratepayers, resulting in lower project costs.
Require full disclosure on all significant projects.
Stop confidentiality and commercial sensitivity claims about providing information.
R Paterson, Tauranga.