The questioner was told district council had bills and debts to pay and had been trimming costs over the past three years.
Another asked why the ratepayers had to pay the entry fee at the new Katikati museum when their rates had helped pay for it. Sam Dunlop, running for community board, said the museum would pay for itself in the coming years.
A member of the public asked council candidate Peter McKay where he would sit on Easter Trading law changes.
He said in a diverse religious community it did not make sense to have a Christian holiday take precedence. He would vote to let businesses decide for themselves, but said it was up to the council as a whole.