So the Tauranga Festival organisers take umbrage with those councillors making a genuine attempt to spend TCC ratepayers' money prudently. These bods think it is their God given right to extract money from TCC ratepayers' coffers to fund their indulgences, not withstanding, in the case of Garden Artfest, it has $205,000 in the bank. In the case of Tauranga Arts at least $160,000, and the Jazz Society - well it seems no financial information is forthcoming. What do directors and organisers of these outfits get paid anyway?
The cardinal dunding rule is you must apply your own funds first, then if there is some unforeseen disaster use council's limited funding as a backup, having first provided a viable business case and budget plus full details of financial position before any backup funding is pre-approved to a specified limit. After any event concludes, fully audited accounts must be produced to ascertain whether council funding kicks in.
Mayor Crosby's unseemly outburst on the topic was apparently not recorded because of technical difficulties?
As to cricket scrounging $35,000 plus on-going annual maintenance costs forever on a new cricket wicket for the World Cup qualifying games between the likes of Afghanistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and PapuaNewGuinea defies belief. It is said cricket minnows will boost Tauranga's economy – yeah, right.

R Paterson, Matapihi.