I also like Brian Anderson, see we are on a sinking ship. With debts forecast to reach over $170 million. With the economy at a stand still, or near to it. The WBDC looks like a car wandering side to side going down a road to nowhere with two drunks at the wheel and a final collision waiting to happen, and it will!
The unfortunate part of this is that you and I, the ratepayers, will have to pay the bill and two drivers will walk away scot free. Our Council is one third the size of TDC, but the CEO has a salary many thousands greater than the Leader of the House of Parliament, or the leader of the Opposition (NZ Herald two weeks ago) and the Mayor now seems to be there for the ride and prestige.
Money has been spent on consultants for all manner of reasons. A consultant could be employed to look into WBDC affairs with the aim of cost cutting on a no holds barred approach.
Staffing levels in many businesses have been dramatically cut of necessity, and I believe councils must look at productivity and output. WBDC used to be able to process building permits etc for a modest fee and a lot quicker years ago when things were a lot busier than today. We live in a computer age and with the modern technology they should be able to get quicker results with less cost. For instance, if you are pulled up by the police, in a matter of minutes they can tell you more about you than you know yourself. Technology should have reduced cost and staff levels, but the reverse has happened.
WBDC debts appear out of control, paying interest on the over $150 million debt (ten years ago $5 million). Such a small group of ratepayers in the current financial world we are in, and likely to be in for some years yet, cannot see good financial sense in council current handling of this crisis. Without good constructive planning, we can only expect greater rate rises. I hope and pray that the CEO who has had this job for many years, and has led us into this mess is capable of leading us out of it. I hope the staff he has surrounded himself with can work a few miracles. Now, more than ever we need good leadership. Here is hoping.

Colin Harding, Katikati.