In the Weekend Sun (June 13, 2014), Maureen Anderson's letter headed ‘Are we just sheep to be fleeced?' raises some very serious questions that are relevant to all ratepayers in New Zealand.

The Auckland ‘Super City' experience to date has been dramatically costly.
By 2013 its debt doubled to $13 billion, with lots more coming. Staff numbers increased by 2000-plus to more than 10,000.

And iwi are ensconced within, without a single vote cast, with ‘wish-lists' now costing ratepayers hundreds of millions per annum so far. I see no ratepayer benefits here. The inescapable conclusion is these factors coalesce into rapidly rising debt and rates for all.

Official theories seek only that the uncontrollable monster gets bigger and so self sustaining then it's beyond change by ratepayers. Apparently they have succeeded?
Tauranga City Council, like Western Bay of Plenty District Council, staff numbers keep rising - even after a 2013 staff review seeking to reduce numbers and cost and improve efficiencies after $2 million of ratepayer monies. None of the objectives were achieved, not one.

Maureen notes $38 million supports 520 CBD city council staff, but this doesn't include 250-plus council controlled organisation staff. One year earlier, there was less than 190. Salary costs are now perhaps another $14 million per annum, and is there more elsewhere?

TCC ratepayers payment of salary/wages is more like $54 million-plus. That's more than 50 per cent of annual rates.

This is way to high.

I Stevenson, Tauranga City.