Grandiose must go

With our latest rates demand we got an update on the events centre and even in its early stage the council is asking how its activities are to be funded?

They suggest through rates, user fees or a loan. In all cases this sounds like an additional rate hike for the long-suffering ratepayers. Has this council never heard of living within our present income or the tried and true policy of ‘‘user pays’’?

With a record number of forced mortgagee house sales, citizens on benefits, closed businesses, two school closures and a falling population this council relentlessly ratchets up the rates and user charges to fund its non-core grandiose activities.

The proposed intervention and reforms of our newly appointed Local Government Minister Dr Nick Smith cannot come soon enough. M Davis Tokoroa