Lobby group Tax Payers’ Union is accusing Tauranga’s commissioners of “trampling over local democracy”, but the commission’s chair says they have no intention of doing that.

The comments come after commission chair Anne Tolley’s interview with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB on Thursday.

Tolley told the radio host she would prefer a “hybrid” local governance model because democracy sometimes “fails”.

There could be skill “gaps” in elected councils and the appointment of people to work with councillors in the future could help address this, said Tolley.

Tauranga is gearing up for an election with nine councillors and a mayor to be voted in on July 20.

The council will replace the commission, made up of Tolley, Bill Wasley, Shadrach Rolleston and Stephen Selwood, who have been running the city since February 2021.

Former local government minister Nanaia Mahuta deposed the previous council in December 2020 because of “significance governance” issues.

Hosking asked Tolley if she felt angst from the community because of recent calls from a former mayor and ACT MP to have the commission act in a “caretaker role”.

ACT MP Cameron Luxton joined an ex-mayor in calling for the commission to act in a caretaker role. Photo: Supplied

“Well, there’s angst of different sorts,” Tolley replied.

“There’s angst in the community that the elections are coming up, the city’s on the move and we’re going to go backwards because all of the old guard are preparing themselves to be reelected, so there’s various angst but the city’s in good heart.

“There’s a lot of reconstruction happening and things are moving and, I think you know, people are feeling pretty good.”

Tax Payers’ Union spokesperson Alex Murphy said: “It’s no surprise that an unelected official with the ability to make massively influential decisions doesn’t want there to be another election, but to suggest that Tauranga ratepayers would be better off without elected councillors is an absolute disgrace.

“Ratepayers have had to put up with over three years of unelected bureaucrats managing their money without any way of voting them out.

“This isn’t about whether the commissioners are doing a better job than their dysfunctional elected predecessors, this is about ensuring that democracy is upheld, and the people of Tauranga get their rightful say.

“If Anne Tolley and the other commissioners believe they are running the city well, they should stand for election and put their case to the voters rather than trampling over local democracy.”

Commission chair Anne Tolley said the Tax Payers’ Union misconstrued her comments. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

In response, Tolley said: “The Taxpayers’ Union has misconstrued my comments.

“The commissioners’ roles will come to an end in July when Tauranga will elect a mayor and nine councillors and we have no intention of ‘trampling over local democracy’.

“My comments with regard to the potential for the ‘old guard’ to try and reverse the city’s progress related to repeated expressions of concern we have received from the community about just that possibility.

“The responsibility for electing an effective and progressive governance team lies with voters and based on the feedback we have received, and continue to receive, we have every faith that the community will elect representatives they believe will lead the city well.”

Nominations for candidates open on April 26.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.