Local Focus: Mayoral candidate says the Mount is no longer safe

Chris Stokes is pushing for a stronger police presence. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Chairman of Ngāti Ranginui Fisheries Trust and mayoral candidate, Chris Stokes believes the reason people should vote for him is his military service.

"I spent 40 years doing military work for my country and now I want to do more community service," he said.

Stokes is pushing for a stronger police presence in Mount Maunganui.

"Safety is a big part of my career. I didn't fight overseas to come back and hear what's happening in the town."

In a video interview with Local Focus, he said the current council lacks real leadership.

"The decisions that they've made... you know it's five all, five-five, six-five, five-five. So there's no real leadership. And I think that the people of my ward are wanting leadership.

"And not the ratepayers having to dig into their back pocket to pay for mistakes that this council's made.

"And the mistakes? Let's go to 11 Mission Street. One day they're giving it to this person, the next day they're taking it back and giving it to someone else."

Stokes said that if he'd been on the council he would've gotten the three parties together into a room to reach a compromise.

"If I was on council I would have done it completely different."

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