Sunlive have presented a good report and summary on the Sunlive website under 'Council” about my submissions on the TCC annual plan to Councillors including a review of the desperately bad finances of TCC.
Government Treasury requires that Council debt not exceed 250% of annual income, for the 30/6/2012 year TCC's income was $168m, debt $460m(274%) these amounts are from audited annual accounts as approved by TCC). Despite this some elected members still think it is around $391-400m, why?.
After the submission and during the Q&A session it became apparent that some members seemed preferred the bliss and slumber of a 'nice” submission asking for money and rather not have to hear anything else. Where does democracy fit into all of that? I guess a warm and cozy seat is better that listening to a 'disturbance of the peace”.
There's more mockery for ratepayers… Councillors recently approved the Greerton Library demolition/complete rebuild before the annual submission process started, that means all ratepayers are denied the opportunity to provide their opinion 'before the decision's made”, not unlike the fiasco over the Pilot Bay Boardwalk decision followed by belated subsequent consultation, the cart before the horse scenario.

I Stevenson, Tauranga.