The blame game, Trevor? Aim it correctly at the current government that dumped water costs back on councils with zero help. Thanks to their divisive tactics, cheered on by folks like you, we are all paying the price in much higher rates.
And please do not blame the Mayor and current Council for hundreds of millions of dollars of ratepayer funds required in the Long Term Plan for coastal hazard adaptation and local road repair costs caused by global heating-charged cyclones. Blame the real culprits: Big Oil and their enablers in the current government, and our former Mayor. Decades of their climate denial have left ratepayers with an avoidable hefty bill.
Talking of our ex-mayor, her leaving the current Council with a $220 million net debt legacy, and a debt-to-revenue ratio of 255% – the fourth highest of Councils surveyed nationwide by Newsroom hasn’t helped either.
Want a genuine target for outrage? Try the gutting of local decision-making in the Fast Track law, which concentrates power with Shane Jones in Wellington. So please Trevor, drop the selective outrage, – it’s lame and a bad look.
