Kaipara District Council Commissioner and chair John Robertson.
Kaipara District Council Commissioner and chair John Robertson.
Recently, it has been suggested that the Kaipara District Council commissioners' term should be extended.
We no longer need three commissioners, and we should not abrogate our responsibilities and step aside while critical issues like amalgamation and rates increases could be forced on us while we are without democratic representation.
With elections due this October, if Commissioner Robertson was prepared to extend his term as a commissioner, perhaps he could show his commitment by indicating willingness to apply for the vacant chief executive position and facilitate return to democratic and representative governance. We will then, post-elections, have continuity of guidance to changes under way, cost savings and truly independent representation of and for ratepayers' and residents' best interests.
With democracy restored, let full discovery be completed; nothing to hide means nothing to fear and, importantly, the Mangawhai dissension will be immediately resolved, at low cost, and council can look again to the primary welfare of Kaipara, not to that pre-occupation with government and the banks.
Without democracy, we will get what "they" want, higher rates, water and other charges, unnecessary and expensive consultants and litigation at ratepayers' expense, instead of living within ratepayers' means.
Commissioners have improved the capability of Kaipara District Council, but we must now play an active role and not step even further aside.
Our forebears paid with their lives for democracy.
Let us reflect on that, and while voters were mostly poorly represented in the immediate recent past, capable people exist in Kaipara and they must be encouraged to come forward, and we must all actively participate and govern ourselves to the greatest extent possible.
