Local Government: Public Service Not Self Interest

Far North Mayoral candidate, Laurie Byers, today put a line in the sand against the self-interest that has been pedalled by the Mayor and his team over the last three years.

Mr Byers said, “To me local government is about nothing other than public service. It has appalled me over the last three years how under Brown, and his team, it has become about blatant and venal self interest.”

“The Mayor is supposed to be using the office to advance our District, not his own bottom line.”

“I was staggered when I attended the first meeting that the current Mayor held after taking office. After all his spin I was expecting to hear a plan to take the District forward. Instead all he would allow to be talked about were issues directly associated with his personal business interests.”

“At that first meeting he demanded reports on the Mangonui Reclamation, effectively his neighbour, the turning bay into Alderton Park, and Kerikeri wastewater requirements for sub-divisions.”

“In 15 years of local government I had never seen anything so self-serving.”

“And then we had the debacle that the Mayor managed to turn the Mangonui reclamation into. He neighbours that project so of course he would have a keen interest, but did we really have to see the budget blow out by almost a million dollars just so it looked exactly like he wanted his backyard to look.”

“But the pedalling of self interest continued. Next we had the farce of the four submissions, in the Mayor’s handwriting, but in other people’s names, supporting a change to capital rating and, curiously, opposing Te Ahu.”

“While Mr Brown may think that it is OK to try and use his position as Mayor to save himself hundreds of thousands of dollars, it actually isn’t.”

“I understand that Council staff undertook an investigation and a legal opinion was sought. While all of this was kept as quiet as possible, the conclusion was that the Mayor’s action had created a conflict of interest and that he should withdraw from voting on the issue. Of course, he ignored all that and voted anyway.”

“His vote was in contradiction of the vast majority of ratepayers, but in support of his own financial interests.”

“If I am given the privilege of being Mayor of our wonderful District this sort of self-interest will stop. I believe a role such as Mayor is about public service, not trying to feather your own nest”, Mr Byers said.

ENDS