A Review and Observer Team appointed to keep an eye on Tauranga City Councillors has recommended a Crown manager and observer be appointed to help.
The four person team, chaired by Peter Winder, released its first report recommending that council seeks external assistance from the Minister of Local Government.
'The Team's considered view is that for the next period of time, a mix of continued democratically elected representation and Crown assistance provides the best chance of addressing the behaviour and performance issues at the council and creating the circumstances in which the underlying issues facing the city can be addressed,” the report states.
'This approach significantly reduces the risk of the failure of the council, particularly over the next period of time when there is a vacancy and the mayor is on sick leave.”
The observer team was appointed back in August in an effort to resolve ongoing elected member relationship issues.
The decision followed an emergency meeting to discuss the report from the Department of Internal Affairs. Read more here.
In the report released on Monday afternoon, the team recommended council requests the Minister of Local Government to assist the council to address 'the behaviour issues and underlying growth management problems” that it is facing by appointing a Crown Manager and Observer.
Elected members are due to meeting this morning at 9.30am to discuss the recommendations.
8 comments
Tom Ranger
Posted on 17-11-2020 08:15 | By Tom Ranger
Shambolic waste of money this TCC is. and disingenuous at every bend! That's the major issue.
Enough is enough!
Posted on 17-11-2020 09:46 | By Scoop
Are ratepayers expected to pick up further costs of a Crown Manager and observer when councillors have made little effort to change their ways despite the presence of a Review and Observer team? Surely not! They should be covering the cost of possible extra minders from their own budget otherwise there will be no buy in to the process. Enough is enough!
Sigh . . .
Posted on 17-11-2020 11:20 | By Yadick
This has even been on radio. What an embarrassment and let down for the community. To those in Council that this applies to, and we know it's not everyone, ABSOLUTE SHAME ON YOU.
Layers of management
Posted on 17-11-2020 11:34 | By Kancho
So does having another layer of management mean our indebtedness and lack of planning to improve infrastructure actually do anything.? Our mayor said something in effect we are near insolvent, so if government wants to help manage multiple problems of rapid growth with trailing infrastructure and management are they going to bring heaps of dosh to the party or just rearrange the deck chairs in the Titanic? Tauranga is doomed to becoming another Auckland with traffic inadequate infrastructure and all the problems associated with too much growth too soon
Childish Councillors
Posted on 17-11-2020 14:21 | By davidt5
The current council is just so pathetic. You would expect better behaviour from primary school children. Have new elections and let us start anew.
What a Joke
Posted on 17-11-2020 14:50 | By Taffy
Well they got what they deserved from the review and boy they did not like the result. Suffice to say that the discussion on what happens next went to the usual secret squirrel meeting where the public are excluded.Will we ever hear the truth!
@Scoop
Posted on 17-11-2020 15:29 | By morepork
You don't seriously think they will pay for their own "monitor"s do you? Even if they did, it would be coming out of OUR money. 1. We should never be in this situation in the first place. 2. The people who put us here should have resigned months ago. 3. A Crown Manager should be paid for by the Crown. 4. If a Crown Manager is needed, then no progress has been made. We could save a lot of money with a vote of no-confidence and another election. Let the current members fight to retain their seats and justify why we should re-elect them.
Sad thing is..........
Posted on 17-11-2020 21:41 | By groutby
...only one has put a hand up and said 'enough'..!!..unbelievable really....so many different views with no intention of collaboration of ratepayer views.... please !!....statutory management....now...
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