Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors.
Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he’s a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure.
Voters aren’t stupid and should never be taken for granted.
Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. Not only are you paying more to your council — they’re helping to keep interest rates higher.
It’s a double burn in the back pocket.
Our most important city councils — Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton — are now led by right-of-centre mayors.
The results speak for themselves. But the problem, of course, is the sample size.
Seventy percent of us didn’t bother voting.
Ask ten pundits why, and you’ll get ten different answers.
I think the problem is simple: the size and scope of local government is out of control.
In a small Pacific island nation at the bottom of the world, we just elected 1,500 people to sit on 78 different councils. Mayors are just one vote at the table — they’re not really that special.
Low turnout isn’t a rejection of the candidates. It’s a rejection of the system.
It’s too big. Too much compromise. Too many meetings, committees, and club sandwiches.
If the Coalition listens to the 30% who did vote and caps rates, they should also listen to the overwhelming silent majority who didn’t.
That means throwing entire councils in the bin. Halve the number of councillors. Give the mayor a veto vote so there’s accountability and a vision to vote for.
The lowest voter turnout in 36 years is a mandate for change — and change looks like a giant local government bonfire.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
"Too many meetings..." So much of Council busines now requires tedious maori time consultation and involvement in a myriad matters where their involvement is more for mana and payment than for constructive purpose..
The whole system is no longer fit for purpose, Trust has been irretrievably lost. Commissioners, properly trained and selected should oversee each council. CEOs should be placed on 12 month contracts, renewable only based on results. Maybe that should apply to Parliament as well.
Ryan . The mayor already has a right to return a council motion to the meeting for further discussion if the executive have gone to far with ideology. The issue is the CEO(s) and their mind boggling salaries and absolutely no skin in the game think they rule the roost . They, CEO(s) should be financially accountable or clear their desk.
All council CEO's are paid too much. Our local one is paid over $400 thousand for a city of less than 100 thousand people. Much of his work is generating reports
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