Mayor Phil Goff and Finance and Performance Committee chair, Councillor Desley Simpson, have announced a decision by councillors to expand elected member oversight of council finances as part of the response to the economic impact of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).

Phil Goff said the global scale and speed of disruption caused by the pandemic is unprecedented and will inevitably impact the council’s finances.

“Today the council received the half-year results to 31 December 2019 which were very strong. But this will be a year of two halves and the next six months will be very challenging,” he said.

“Every city in the world is being affected by the coronavirus shock to the global economy and Auckland is no exception.

“Councillors are united on the need to expand and enhance oversight of council spending at a time when “nice-to-haves” may need to be deferred to protect and maintain the essential services that Aucklanders rely on.

“Effective immediately, finance committee meetings will double in frequency, ensuring councillors can effectively represent the views of their communities in making critical decisions around expenditure during these extraordinary times.

“I want to assure Aucklanders that while the situation is evolving rapidly, contingency plans are in place to mitigate the impact of the virus on our region and people.”

Councillor Simpson agrees.

“How the council responds to the economic challenges posed by COVID-19 is critical,” she said.

“To support the organisational response, we are implementing greater oversight of council finances and ensuring that representatives directly elected by Aucklanders play a central role in directing the response.

“Efficiency gains from our Value for Money programme mean we are in a good position to absorb financial pressure, but there is no doubt that as a city we will face some difficult decisions in coming months.

“Our finance team is working around the clock to prepare for all scenarios, and councillors are working closely with officials to ensure the resilience of our essential services.”
 

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