Working for a strong foundation and right culture
After around about a month in the job I can safely say that I am the luckiest mayor in the country. I have the best district, and I’m working with the best team of people.
Our nine community boards are starting to get underway with their inaugural meetings following on from our first council meeting at the start of the month.
This meeting was held out in the district at the Takutai o Te Tītī Marae at Colac Bay, and this was no coincidence.
Although the head office of SDC is located in Invercargill, I am wanting to be active in the communities that we serve.
Everyone present noticed and commented on the atmosphere at the marae, and it was a fantastic way to kick off the triennium.
I found myself getting emotional at the gravity of the experience, looking at the team around the table and the supporters in the crowd, the best way to describe it is that everything felt right.
You can expect to see us out in the communities more often this term.
The best decisions are going to come from councillors who get a feel for the situation on the ground where the issues can be best understood. This in my opinion, is far better than just reading a report behind a desk in Invercargill.
I am committed to building up solid trust between council and all the fantastic communities of Southland.
The road ahead is not going to be a smooth one, but it is one that council and the people need to embrace together. We need relationships, connections and strong communities.
My focus at the start of this triennium is building a strong foundation with the right culture.
We are in a time that is like no other, and to me that involves doing things differently.
This involves questioning why we are doing some things. It is easy to become entrenched in a certain way of doing something, and sometimes it pays to simply step back and ask why.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the future of local government, and I don’t think we need to wait for someone to tell us what is best – I feel that we can start now.
With a focus on empowering our community boards, and ensuring that council is an enabler and easy to work. Is it too ambitious for me to want our ratepayers to be proud of our council?
Our community boards are the closest link to you in the community. I have really enjoyed getting to know all the new board members, and have been impressed with the passion for each of the communities that they serve.
I have seen the potential that these boards have during my time in council, with passionate locals stepping up and getting things done.
There have been some great results from locals who not only care about, but also understand their community and are willing to step up and make a difference. I want to make it as easy as possible for these people to make that difference.
I am confidently optimistic about what we are going to be able to achieve this triennium, and am really looking forward to getting stuck into it all.