Councillors will advocate for wards
The Matamata- Piako District Council has decided to progress with its proposal and disestablish community boards from the 2013 local government elections.
The council, which held a hearing on Wednesday last week, consulted with the community on this proposal and received 37 submissions.
Copies of the submissions are online at www.mpdc.govt.nz.
The council considered them all and resolved to continue with its initial proposal.
This means that after the 2013 elections (to be held in October), Matamata- Piako residents will continue to be represented by their councillors, but there will no longer be community boards.
Councillors will continue to be elected based on wards, with four councillors from Matamata and Morrinsville, three councillors from Te Aroha, and one mayor elected across the district.
Functions currently administered by the community boards (such as funding applications) will continue, but will be administered by the individual ward councillors.
“Community boards have achieved some great projects in our communities in the past,” said Mayor Hugh Vercoe. “However, councillors feel that there is a duplication of elected members in each ward area, and the elected councillors are readily accessible to the community and actively advocate for their respective wards in the Council Chambers.”
Mr Vercoe said they believe that disestablishing community boards will eliminate the current duplication of roles and achieve cost savings, while still ensuring that our communities are represented fairly and effectively.
Anyone who made a submission on the council’s original proposal can lodge an appeal against the final proposal, however, the appeal must relate to matters raised in that person’s original submission.