Attributes of a council

The proven competencies I am looking for in candidates for mayoral as well as council seats are:

1. Knowledge: Community and ratepayer concerns, council financial status, local and national political issues impacting on the community, focus on big picture, not minutiae, overview of legal requirements on council operations.

2. Strategic thinking and decision making skills and abilities: Inspire and empower others, use resources to achieve goals, use logic to identify strengths and weaknesses, synthesise multiple viewpoints and perspectives, independent thinking, ability to analyse reports and research, stakeholder focus, responsive to pressure for change.

3. Communication skills: persuasive public speaking

- enhance inter-cultural representation

- facilitate discussion and consensus

- promote honesty, integrity empathy and transparency

4. Independence and team-work skills, ability to collaborate, ability to work independently as well as contributing to group decision-making, value contributions of others, provide constructive feedback, totally non-partisan.

In my view, contenders should provide evidence of their past performance in these areas to enable voters to choose the best fit.

Ratepayers deserve accountability from mayors, councillors as well as council staff. Experience and achievements of all contenders for local body elections need to tick all these boxes.

Come on BOP ratepayers, we need the best return on our rates. Be proactive, ask the questions before ticking your choice box. Let's do it!

Jenny Grose, Tauranga

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1 comment

Thanks Jenny Grose

Posted on 20-05-2019 16:29 | By crazyhorse

Yes, Jenny and thank you for your letter. The number 1 question to ask people campaigning to be councilors or mayors and those already on the council is will you use you 'position' " to- enhance inter-cultural representation. Let them campaign with the truth this time around.


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