CONCEDE: Dr Reynold MacPherson says mayor Steve Chadwick's majority was slashed by his group. PHOTO/FILE
CONCEDE: Dr Reynold MacPherson says mayor Steve Chadwick's majority was slashed by his group. PHOTO/FILE
There is little reason for triumphalism. Steve Chadwick retained the mayoralty with 7880 votes. I polled 5652 votes, slashing her majority from 6841 to 2228.
Rob Kent only attracted 3006 votes, and Mark Gould 1618, but enough to split the anti-Chadwick vote and hand her another three years in office.
Had Kent honoured his agreement with RDRR members over endorsement, he would now be facing deputy mayor. Instead, he and Gould now have three years to answer questions about their integrity and to apologize for the existence of the continuing regime.
The mayor and her power bloc suffered a major backlash against their policies.
Two powerful committee chairs lost their seats. All other continuing councillors but one suffered major reductions in their personal mandates.
The across-the-board 30 per cent swing went to RDRR candidates who did better than most other newcomers, confirming the RDRR as the major new force in local politics.
The council is now a lame duck council, teetering on the edge of paralysis, with much lower legitimacy. It will predictably vote 6:5 on key issues, except on the committees each with two non-elected Te Arawa appointees, which will tend to vote 8:5.
This will reignite the deep divisions in our community over the dilution of democracy.
Sadly, continuing alienation, instability and implacable resistance are inevitable until the shrinking majority realise that improvements are impossible while voting the same way or not at all.
DR REYNOLD MACPHERSON Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers
We will be watching
Well inspite of the heavy opposition Mayor Chadwick won again. Congratulations Steve.
A quotation often attributed to Voltaire - "I may not agree with what you say - but I shall defend with my life your right to say it."
I do not agree with what you say - or what you do, but obviously many others do.
I wish you well, and I hope you have a little more concern for the well-being of this community than has been previously shown.We will be watching.
