Jim Adams
Rotorua
I refer to the Mudtopia story published July 4 stating the council spent $1,681,814 on the event.
The council's operations group manager, Henry Weston, is now confirming the loss ratepayers suffered was $600,238.
The festival directors were the real winners, paying themselves $397,996, so they certainly didn't suffer any loss.
If 15,000 tickets were given away for free, and only 1500 tickets were actually sold, then how did the council derive $908,900 in revenue?
The figures don't add up to me, as the council says the revenue was almost $909,000, which would mean a $772,914 loss?
We know most the revenue didn't come from ticket sales, so where is it coming from?
Increased accommodation and food and beverage revenue for businesses around town?
If so, how do they measure that?
People may have stayed in Rotorua that weekend anyway.
Clear as mud is a phrase usually used in a humorous way.
But this is no laughing matter for Rotorua ratepayers, who deserve a more detailed and exacting accurate analysis of this mud-slinging fiasco.
[Abridged]
Tracey McLeod
Rotorua
