Ross Mitchell-Anyon, a former Wanganui District councillor and former council representative on the Sarjeant Gallery Trust Board, was aware of the Congreve letters and content. Confirming this to the Chronicle, he said the critical thing was that the previous council undertook to underwrite the $1.3 million deficit in the trust board'sfundraising, and that was the maximum it would underwrite. "This meant if the $1 million from Congreve didn't eventuate, council would withdraw from the project. Council was never exposed to the risk of that $1 million," Mr Mitchell-Anyon said. "The word 'pledged' was used in respect of the $1 million to come from Auckland because of the high expectation Robin Congreve would meet his offer to raise that amount for project. "The expectation was high in light of the monies he had donated and funds raised for other institutions. The trust board believed it was a given because of the reputation of the man." While the use of the word "pledge" in reports and brochure in respect of the $1 million was unfortunate, it would be a tragedy if the project did not go ahead because of that. And the previous council was told the "$1 million wasn't money in the bank,"Mr Mitchell-Anyon said. He also was concerned the issue was making Wanganui the "aughing stock of the art world." Mr Mitchell-Anyon was the Wanganui District Council's representative on the Sarjeant Gallery Trust Board for three years until October. Before that he was an artists' representative on the board.
