Who should be Invercargill's next mayor?

With locals due to go to the polls in early October, we've asked the candidates for their opinions on the major issues facing the district. We're publishing the answers over the weeks leading up to the election.

This week we asked: The average rate increase for the 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

Here are the candidates' answers, in alphabetical order:

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Toni Biddle

Age: 46

Occupation: Senior Advisor for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, former Deputy Mayor of ICC

The average rate increase for the 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

Like every other home and business, we need to do more with less. That means cutting fat, eliminating waste and duplication, and finding efficiencies within our organisation. The primary responsibility of a mayor is to lead the development of council plans, policies, and budgets in effect managing our city responsibly. As mayor, I will focus on three key areas to achieve this.

· effective management of operating expenditure

· Increased oversight and accountability to council-controlled organisations

· effective capital investment and prudent debt management.

I want to ensure that the city is managed in a fiscally responsible way so that we can keep rates low and affordable. This means Council must work within its budget, get the best value for money for each dollar it receives from ratepayers and other sources, and eliminate unnecessary spending. The capital spending this council has forecasted in the long-term plan does not reflect the priorities of ratepayers and residents. We must stop relying on our ratepayers as a source to fund vanity projects that we simply cannot afford. Like every ratepayer and resident, we must live within our means.

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Ria Bond

Age: Not supplied

Occupation: Former NZFirst List MP based in Invercargill. Former skilled migrant co-ordinator for Venture Southland, Contractor, Business NZ Mentor

The average rate increase for the 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

Fiscal responsibility and accountability with capital projects and operational expenses is what ratepayers should expect from their elected members. I will work to reprioritise the LTP, remove some of the long-term projects we don’t need, reduce operational costs that include contractors, consultants. We need to trim the Fat on council expenses.

I would commit Council to be financially vigilant and that all land investments short or long term must return a profit. Ratepayer money must be scrutinized for projects, events that our city needs, not spent on wants, to do more with less like our community has to.

I have been consistent in my message that we need to provide more services of importance and stay within budgets. In terms of future infrastructure these will be weighted by the three waters entities, and we will have no voice.

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Stevey Chernishov

Age: 41

Occupation: Educator

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

We would be best to begin immediately re-evaluating Council Budgets. Projects that have been started need to be completed. Contractual arrangements already in place should to be followed through on.

There is scope for fresh negotiation to take place, & we need more efficient & innovative ways to complete infrastructural developments planned.

Future Invercargill City Council project plans must rely more heavily on local Southlander consultation & planning services. Invercargill's local people are more motivated to plan projects, work hard & build solutions that get 'best bang for the buck'.

All people from all walks of life are being impacted by our economic situation. Rising city debts resulting from infrastructure upgrades & extravagant rebuilds are directly affecting rates increases. Everyone is under strain & financial projections show that rates bills & living costs are likely to increase significantly in the short term.

I believe that every community group needs to respond by learning about 'Social Enterprise'. We need to embrace the local business culture again, & build businesses that can thrive, rewarding those who diligently develop them. We need service providers who are prosperous enough to give directly back into their own community. Fostering prosperous local business brings more balance than a welfare system.

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Nobby Clark

Age: 71

Occupation: Current Deputy Mayor - ICC

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

That should be routinely done annually by trimming operational costs and by cancelling some projects that are no longer affordable eg. $26m upgrade of the Civic Administration building and $13m for stage 2 of street scape work on Kelvin and upper Esk Streets.

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Marcus Lush

Age: 57

Occupation: Broadcaster

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically 

If we can’t retain people in Invercargill, everyone’s rates will go up even further as they will be paying a higher percentage. Encouraging and retaining new people to Invercargill is an essential part of keeping rates reasonable. But also - Council needs to get back to core council business, and not get involved in commercial projects.

We need to get projects finished and we need a council that are forward thinking who don’t waste time and money relitigating decisions. We need a council that has strong leadership so we can use council money effectively. I will be that strong leader, and will get the best out of our councillors. 

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Tom Morton

Age: 61 years

 Occupation: Marketing /Small business (dog walking)

The average rate increase for the 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

Cowardly candidates will all claim that they will decrease rates but will increase rates instead to fund unnecessary endeavours. Like vanity projects such as museums. The community has other more pressing needs that can better their lives. Rates need to go towards paying off ICC debt before interest rate increases. If it is not paid off the ICC debt will become unaffordable. This debt was accrued by the current councillors.

The Invercargill system has changed from land value to capital value, this is to increase rates without actually saying so. 

In part, past Councillors like Nobby, Ludlow and others made decisions that got us to where we are now.

The only true way to increase the amount of money collected is to do exactly what the Southland Housing Forum says. Build 1659 home. This as opposed to to 150-300 which deputy Nobby and Ludlow produced

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Noel James Peterson

Age: 69

Occupation: Bluff Community Board Member – Mayoral – Councillor Candidate -Invercargill City Council Election 2022

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

The issue of rates needs addressing regardless of increases, staying static or reducing, the restructure of local government should if handled and directed correctly provide rate relief for people who are pressured by rate demands. In my view rates should stop endlessly increasing, stay static or preferably reduce. The consequences of intolerable rate demands are horrendous, families stunted and unable to grow properly, elderly forced out of their homes, people unable to afford homes, living a life with no quality because much of your income goes to meeting rate demands is plainly wrong, the social cost is far too high.

As a community we need to have a proper discussion about fairness & equality, it’s essential, this needs to happen sooner rather than later, our community wellbeing is already suffering. We need to come together as a community to sort this, it’s not just council’s responsibility, it’s not “their fault” council functions under the parameters of the local government act which is clearly no longer fit for purpose. Thus, the restructure of local government I am actively involved with, having a lot of say about with LGNZ. No need for “drastic slashing” moves, simply vote Noel & watch this space!

Jacqueline Walter

Age - 54

Occupation: Mother and primary teacher

(Did not provide a photo)

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year is around 7.1%. Families are struggling with inflation in general. Should the council continue to raise rates over the coming years to meet infrastructure and other needs, or drastically slash its budgets?

Rates should never be set above inflation and I believe we could even set them lower than inflation and still maintain our infrastructure.

Wastage

Wastage

Wastage....

....and pipe dreams.

I would make it stop....

....and we would be culturally happier.

Then, in the future we would be in a position of having nice things.

There is nothing drastic about this stance.

HOPE, and living realistically.

• Candidates Ria Bond, Darren Ludlow and Sir Tim Shadbolt did not provide a response by deadline, but will hopefully be involved next week.