Councillors vote to scrap local body election fee

One councillor called it hypocritical, but Gore district councillors seeking re-election won’t have to dip into their own pockets to put up hoardings at the next local body elections.

At an ordinary meeting of the Gore District Council on Tuesday night, councillors voted to scrap the $20-per sign fee they had to pay to the council to put up electioneering signs before local body elections were held.

A report from council chief executive officer Steve Parry said the council’s policy in this area was last critiqued in 2014 following approaches from both the Labour and National parties in the run up to the general election.

With other neighbouring councils not imposing a fee for the processing of a permit to erect an electioneering sign, the council was cited as being out of sync with its neighbours and prevailing public sentiment.

Parry told the meeting the processing of the application and receiving the fee created minimal work for council staff, and they just had to make sure the sign was being put in the right place.

Gore ward councillor Ralph Beale said he thought waiving the fee was hypocritical.

Other groups such as the New Zealand Gold Guitars, which brought people to the town, had to pay a fee to put signs up and the council had voted to raise other fees, he said.

Mayor Tracy Hicks said waiving the fee was about facilitating democracy.

A recommendation to waive the fee was passed.