After attending two election meetings last week, firstly the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Mayoral Meeting, where five of the six Mayoral candidates showed real concern on Tauranga City Council debt levels; and the subsequent Citizens Advocacy Tauranga Election Meeting for the presentation by well-respected expert Local Government analyst Larry Mitchell, (who also expressed serious concern about TCC debt levels), one realises TCC debt level is approaching$500million.
This is unsustainable and cannot continue unchecked as it amounts to $10,000 for each and every ratepayer.
In reality there's only five options to repay crippling TCC debt:
1. Sale of assets – proceeds will be minisicle and will not help at all (NZTA won't take Route K).
2. Increase rates immediately by 50 per cent but more likely need to double, for example, $2500 per annum to $5000 per annum (providing $90m per annum)– unaffordable by 95 per cent of Tauranga citizens
3. Windfall in consent and development fees, doubling from $9.5m (2013) to $19m.per annum – a drop in the ocean and will cover zilch even with 2000 more ratepayers giving an extra $4m per annum in rates take.
4. Slash TCC and Council-Controlled Organisation's staffing levels (saving $20million per annum), which is realistic and achievable but unpalatable to city hall.
5.The last option is that we slash spending on infrastructure?
As interest alone on TCC debt is about $30million per annum, the only viable option apart from staff cuts is doubling rates.
Everyone except Town Hall and Mayor Crosby can see the writing on the wall.
If anyone at TCC wants to challenge my assessments, speak up and provide detailed calculations.
I'll have them professionally analysed.

R Paterson, Matapihi.