Recently in a behind closed doors meeting our elected Councillors were told that the estimated rates increase in the Long-Term Plan for next year will be 18%. They must resist this and push hard for a decent analysis of costs. In an article in the … [Read more...]
Garry writes 16 August 2023
It has been troubling to watch Council meetings online recently. They appear to be a variation on a very badly run community group. How many times have we been to a meeting and witnessed a chair, who really doesn’t know how to manage a meeting, trying to manage local folks who have all arrived with … [Read more...]
Garry writes on $$ and Rates 20 June 2023
I am worried about some financial decisions being considered at CCC. Recently there was a proposal to reduce rates using subvention credits thus weakening the Council’s finances further. In the Press Jake McClelland was reported as describing this proposal as: “smoke and mirrors”, if there … [Read more...]
Councillor Gough’s Commitment to openness and transparency
In the Press recently Cr Gough is reported as saying at the CCC meeting: It was interesting to note his commitment to democracy and “having a conversation with the public”. I recall an email he wrote on behalf of himself, Sam Macdonald, and Phil Mauger to the CE Dawn Baxendale during the last … [Read more...]
Garry: I am worried about Christchurch City Council
This week’s notes come with a warning to the mayor and our councillors. I’m worried about Christchurch City Council. The public are unhappy. The staff are unhappy. Your budget is blowing out. It’s time to have a hard think. About everything. Rosa Luxemburg once said: “Those who do not move, do … [Read more...]
Huihui Mai – submissions please
Last week James and Tracy shared about future Transport options for Great Christchurch - You can make a submission here Find out more about HuiHui Mai here … [Read more...]
Submissions please
Bruce White on Local Government – are we willing to learn?
Bruce has done a great submission on The Future of Local Government, and the need to learn from our actions - the good and the bad.Proposed Recommendation; – ‘Learnings Reviews and Reports’: I submit that the Local Government Reform Proposals should include a Recommendation that the Local … [Read more...]
Auckland City leaves LGNZ
I served on LGNZ for, I think, 9 years. It seemed longer. I chaired the Metro Mayors. As a member of LGNZ board a group of 7 mayors started the “Mayors Taskforce for Jobs” which was a social goal of having no young person under 25 doing nothing. We wanted them to be either in training or at … [Read more...]
Garry writes on changes at CCC
There was the inevitable clean out when Dawn Baxendale arrived from the UK to become CEO. That happens when a governing board, in this case the City Council, selects a change manager to turn around an organisation. CCC had become a bit like a cruise liner drifting in the high seas without power … [Read more...]
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