On October 15 and 22 letters were printed about the City Partners scheme as setup by TCC, the former had a commentary from Frank Begley, TCC City Partners Manager.
The letters allude to but a few problems that could arise from the structure of the scheme as is currently in place. A good example of this is the current policy of how TCC staff consider and award tenders and contracts with TCC. One very important benefit for City Partners is that they receive preferential treatment ahead of others for a significant value annually of over $40m.
On the face of it that appears like a good idea because of the amount of goods or services provided by City Partners to Council projects, but who is really paying ?
A business will not enter into a contract to provide goods and services for free to the tune of $1.2 - 4.8m a year without some means of paying for this, there still has to be a profit at the end of the day.
Unless all contracts are tendered and they are opened in a public forum the opportunity exists for ratepayers to be the ultimate payer in every sense of the word for what is said to be services provided apparently for free to the citizens of Tauranga.
I. Stevenson, Tauranga.

TCC Responds:
The figures and the information in Mr Stevenson's letter are factually incorrect.
Your readers can be confident that City Partners never get preferential treatment when tendering for Tauranga City Council work.
Council's procurement policies would not, and should not, allow this. Tender evaluation panels give no weight whatsoever to a bidder being a City Partner. All tendered work won is entirely due to a bid's merit and the tender process is strictly monitored.
City Partner support is greatly appreciated as it is an investment by those organisations in the community and it allows us to achieve things that wouldn't be possible without their help.
The Council website at www.tauranga.govt.nz has more information on the City Partnership Programme and Council's procurement policies.