Former Hutt City CEO Tony Stallinger is now officially running for Hutt City Mayoralty, with his nomination submitted before the ElectionsNZ close-off today.

Stallinger said the times were too tough to leave the city to a Mayor and followers who lived in a “fantasyland of free-spending”.

“I care deeply about our wonderful City and its communities – too deeply to let them be bled dry with high rates and rampant spending.

“The city must return to a measured approach, focussed on performing core services extremely well. More experienced and competent leadership is desperately needed.

“It’s time for all Hutt people to have a real say in running our City. The current mayor’s political masters have been pulling the strings for too long,” he said.

Stallinger listed a raft of problems he had calculated now plagued the city:
Rates up 30% under this mayor’s leadership, with intent to raise them much higher
The Mayor intends to increase city debt three-fold to a staggering $600 million
The Mayor has planned an unforgivable $100 million increase in administration spending, while basic services fail, delay and add costs to new homes.
The Council has developed a toxic bullying culture.

He said the Mayor was claiming successes that had already been planned and funded by the previous council.

“The current Mayor has quickly deleted his 2019 campaign promises, because they now look like a long list of failures,” Stallinger said. Stallinger’s career includes over 35 years in finance, strategic management and leadership roles. This includes 12 years as Hutt City Council’s chief executive.

He said he had assembled a team of highly talented independent councillors, soon to be announced under a unified banner.

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