A Masterton councillor sick of ratepayer apathy is campaigning to step up communication between the council and the community.
Jeff Workman, pictured, is fed up with ratepayers telling him they are not being heard and this week moved a notice of motion that the council develops a communication strategy.
He said the
council could better connect with residents in a range of ways, such as holding meetings later so they are "ratepayer-friendly" and overhauling the website, newsletter and the council's complaints process.
He feels councillors could also extend their portfolios and act as "go-to" people for the areas they were responsible for.
There is also room for improvement in communication between councillors and council officers, he said. Mr Workman believes the issue couldn't be more timely, with residents needing to know why they are being hit with two double-digit rate rises over the next three years.
"What I hear all the time is residents saying 'what's the use of putting a submission in, no one listens'.
"We can't be everything to everybody, but we need to better communicate why we've made the decisions we have."
It was decided all councillors would help develop the strategy.
