Time for council to be reined in on spending
‘‘THE silent majority’’ could be the term to describe Dunedin ratepayers who are understandably upset at the council’s proposed spending.
The silent majority do not organise street marches, attend council meetings, or respond to consulting requests from the council. They are too busy living life.
The only clue to dissatisfaction of the silent majority is the occasional letter to the editor or feedback from surveys.
Both these measures are currently in overdrive yet the council appears ignorant of that — excluding the three or four councillors who understand those concerns, but remain sidelined by their minority status.
How to fix this problem? Well, in the same way that the governor of the Reserve Bank has specific targets regarding inflation, the chief executive of the Dunedin City Council needs to be given boundaries regarding debt, and annual rate increases.
Councillors can then determine the priorities of where to spend that income. The complete reverse to the current system which produces a ‘‘wish list’’ programme followed by discussion on where do we get the funds, and how to persuade ratepayers to accept this increase in debt and rates.
This may still lead to some stupid spending but it should only last three years and not bankrupt the city.
Councillors are trustees for future ratepayers and should err on the side of caution.
Coal protest
Ken Lawson
Oamaru
NOT for the first time, these protesters have stopped a train carrying some coal wagons and trespassed on to the tracks, and it seems again that there are no consequences. Unbelievable.
These people should have been arrested for wasting police time, disrupting rail services (with flowon effects all over the South Island) and, of course, breaking the law.
It is ironic that these people, with nothing better to do, would rather stop a more environmentally friendly freight train than all those CO2emitting trucks on the road.
Each tonne of freight that goes by rail means there is a 66% reduction in CO emitted than had it gone by truck.
P. Graham
Dunedin
Mayoral title
CLARKE Isaacs seemed surprised that the mayor of Dunedin would be addressed as ‘‘Your Worship’’, but that’s actually fairly correct (Letters, 30.1.21).
Even if it’s not often used daytoday, mayors in cities across New Zealand are properly styled ‘‘His/Her Worship’’.
The mayor of Wellington, for instance, is officially ‘‘His Worship the Mayor, the Honourable Andy Foster’’ while the mayor of Christchurch is ‘‘Her Worship the Mayor, the Honourable Lianne Dalziel’’.
Maybe it’s just all the thees and thous of the old country rubbing off on me as it’s been a few years since family took me away from home in Andy Bay (up here, Debrett’s accords a mayor the courtesy title of ‘‘the Worshipful’’), but personally I like the protocol of Your Worship as it adds a bit of colour and character to drab government business.
I’d actually find it awkward and offputting to call a council leader ‘‘Mr Mayor’’, as to my ear it sounds so much like an Americanism.
Robert Frazer
Lancashire .....................................
BIBLE READING: I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. — Isaiah 45:19.