It's clear the so-called ‘city heart transformation' is well underway with millions of ratepayers' money being plastered all over the place to date on plan designs, desires, dreams, wishful thinking and wall-to-wall ivory towers.

Perhaps our (TCC ratepayers not staff) councillors have forgotten who their paymasters are? To date there's no meaningful/informed public consultation. All that's happened/known so far is: CBD council admin-building options of demolish, demolish, demolish. Mayor has slipped out that museum/library full steam ahead and the communications/propaganda/spending is running at full-noise on everything else new in the CBD. Even Durham St gets a make-over?

The end result is a $200+million spend-up by increasing already record levels of borrowing to even more lofty sums. Debt projections from TCC show $545 million already and that does not include the $236 million debt from government that TCC is yet to get its greasy maulers on and spend. Meanwhile Welcome Bay Rd widening is being ignored, multiple expired consents at Te Maunga sewerage plant, improvements spends failed to work, inadequate car parking, other important infrastructure ignored/neglected.

The CBD 'heart transplant' budget approved was $1 million. By 30 June 2016 spent over $1.5-million, by 30 June 2017 near $5 million with no sign of stopping. What happened to accountability, transparency and public consultation?

Tauranga ratepayers need a chance to have a say in a binding referendum.

I Stevenson, Tauranga.

Tauranga City Council declined a right of reply.