Have your say: Priorities

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai

Sheryl Mai wants to whack a 9 per cent rates rise on us.

What would she say if all the people doing work for the WDC asked for a 9 per cent rise for 10 years then reduce to 5 per cent for the next 10 years? The reason WDC is behind the eight ball is; mismanagement of finances i.e. buying of land that is not giving a return on investments.

Our services in the city have taken a nose dive; we are more and more paying consultants to do the work our councillors could do, millions of dollars.

For years the WDC knew we should have another set up ready for rubbish removal after Pohe Island; we have now been double and triple handling the refuse. The cost of taking rubbish to Rewarewa Rd has sky rocketed.

Part of rates incorporation two bags of rubbish per household, now we pay over four dollars for a couple of bags and WDC still kept the money we already pay into rates for the rubbish! As for the rates, it is not so many years ago that over a very short term our rates rose threefold then the services went downhill.

The words noxious weeds are no longer used in the regional council vocabulary; the noxious weeds and plants with the millions of seeds blowing in the wind are spreading like wild fire. Single lanes and bridges holding up traffic and all we hear is Hundertwasser.

We need to get our priorities right - better fiscal management. I say no more blue geese! As a past council worker I am shocked at a lack of services.

George Bond
Morningside