Re-elected councillor Bill Faulkner wasted no time attacking 'endlessly complaining” Tauranga citizens for having the audacity to ask for information who he says, without any evidence, 'cost ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars last term”, and stated these people, without providing any examples, were vexatious, frivolous, vindictive, using the system to have a crack at City hall, staff, and elected members. What's wrong with that?
Regarding Council information. I recommend Bill refreshes his memory with Section 14 of the Local Government Act 2002 which imposes Council's legal obligations about 'conducting it's business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner”.
Of all people Cr Faulkner should know that democracy is an expensive business (what did the recent elections cost Tauranga ratepayers and, as a candidate, is he going to help reimburse the public purse?).
If Bill is worried about democracy costs I invite him to comment on the waste of $100,000 ratepayer money spent on the useless Mount surf reef, the $300,000 it cost in 2005 to settle the incompetent decision made by a Council employee who approved a house in Ocean Beach Road to be built too close to the property boundary, the wasted $100,000 on the abortive /Origin Pacific/Tauranga – Christchurch flight scheme.
Perry Harlen, Mount Maunganui.