Here’s an idea

Candidates for the coming elections could do well to take a lead from Auckland’s mayoral candidate John Palino who has printed a booklet outlining what he sees as wrong with the Auckland Council, and what he wants to do to fix it.

It’s encouraging to see a candidate offer specific policies. I would hope that our local candidates will do the same. Too many campaigns are about style not substance.
While many of John Palino’s proposals pertain solely to Auckland others such as those below would be equally equally of interest to South Wairarapa.

John Palino promises to :
*Reduce rates over the first term
*Hold Councillors responsible for meeting and managing within budgets and limiting future rates increases to no more than inflation and population growth.
*Have any major project fully communicated well in advance with opportunity for ratepayer comment .
*Make Council spending transparent to Ratepayers so they can judge whether or not their money is being spent sensibly with all spending to be placed monthly on the Internet
*To hold council officers to account for poor or tardy decisions by establishing a Review Panel, including relevant external experts if required, that ratepayers can appeal to.
* Make the rates reduction a KPI indicator for the CEO
*Have all consenting decisions made within half the statutory deadline.
1 (I also note that Wellington Mayoral candidate Nichola Young has also made a promise to keep any rate rises to no more than the rate of inflation.)
2 There’s little doubt that local ratepayers would like to add to John’s list.
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