As someone who is inactive in local politics but very active in the life of Tauranga with my involvement with Classic Flyers, Creative Tauranga and Rotary I write to urge those people who may not vote to do so in the current TECT election. As with the last Council elections the sheer number of people standing for election has the capacity to dilute the vote and cause a 'rogue' result. The TECT election is vital for the well being of the Tauranga community as central and local government reduce expenditure on quality of life issues. The move to remove the TECT grant system at the last election would have been a disaster for the community which was fortunately realised by 80% of the community in a referendum and those people who proposed the idea should be given short shrift by the electorate. But how do we ensure the best people are given the opportunity to exercise this vital role on our behalf? We need to elect those people who have demonstrated a long term commitment to the City of Tauranga and it is easy to identify these candidates. It is unfortunate that with the number of people standing, the majority will be 'no hopers' but these candidates do have the capacity to distort the final result. Do take time to examine the credentials and identify those candidates, both new and sitting members, who have already made a significant contribution to the City in a positive way. We need a TECT Board that can act in harmony in making this an even better place to live for our future.

David Love