Who should be Southland District's next mayor?

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

This week, we asked: The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year has been set at 9.25%. 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 answers, in alphabetical order:

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Wendy Joy Baker

Age: 55

Occupation: Valuable Volunteer; Previous: Sports Coordinator; EBOP Regional Council Officer; Contracts Manager; Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator; Research Technician.

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year has been set at 9.25%. 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?

No, SDC should not continue to raise rates, it is unfair to ratepayers. (Here is example of my rates rise 14.55%, in Nightcaps. Well above the 9.25% average.)

Yes, SDC should drastically slash budgets. There are unnecessary and/or extravagant costs I feel.

I have already previously mentioned concerns about 'First Edition' publication cost, here is exact cost 2020-22: $106,788.76 and what about the cost of the glossy Pre-Election report and Annual Report 2020/21? These publications are all in colour with many flamboyant photos. What about having black and white publications with less pages/less photos to cut costs etc?

Then there is the SDC Advertising costs: 2021-22 newspaper advertising cost ratepayers $49,223, and radio advertising $42,359. Can we reduce these costs too? Yes. It all adds up and SDC must try and make a difference. That's fair.

There is also the SDC CE Ratepayer funded remuneration package which, in 2021, was over $390,000. How about the SDC CE do what ICC CE kindly did in 2020 and give $30,000 back to community?

Take some advice from Winston Churchill ' Everyone can help in some way or another'.

My advice: Vote for me as Mayor please and I will reduce rates. That's fair. I care.

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Kirsty Pickett (previously Macnicol)

Age: 51

Occupation: Business owner, former journalist

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year has been set at 9.25%. 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?

9.25% is only the average. I’ve spoken to many in recent weeks, for whom the figure has been significantly higher. However, most of those people accept, even if begrudgingly, that this is necessary to ensure our infrastructure and assets will continue to serve us well into the future. This ‘just get on with it’ message was conveyed strongly during LTP submissions.

Maintaining our assets from such a small rating base is an ongoing challenge. As Mayor. I’ll be asking the chief executive to take a good, hard look at the council to ensure it’s going about its business in the most cost-effective way possible. I’ll be seeking assurances that this organisation has been as hard on itself as every private business in this region has had to be to survive these past few years.

I want local communities, through community boards, have a real say in what is important to deal to – allowing them more autonomy (and conversely accountability) to make meaningful decisions that are in the best interests of the individual and unique communities that make Southland what it is.

‘Drastic’ action should never be required if the council is thorough, considered and confident in its decision-making.

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Rob Scott

Age: 42

Occupation: Small Business Owner & District Councillor

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year has been set at 9.25%. 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?

Over the previous long term plan (2018-2021) inflation was fairly stable at around 1.6%. The current plan which involves a significantly larger investment in infrastructure, with a hefty capital works programme is now facing an environment where inflation is nearly 5 times higher at 7.3%. This puts council in a difficult position who are not immune to the same increases that ratepayers face.

This is no different to what I encounter in my life as a business owner. I don’t have the luxury of turning on a money tap if things get tight. The risk of slashing budgets is that we inevitably alter the level of service that southlanders get. The philosophy of the cheapest time to do a project is now, reigns true for a lot of the work in the long term plan, however that’s not to say that we cannot re-prioritise. We need to focus on the core services.

I still believe that there are efficiencies to be gained in the way that council operates, and these need to be looked at first, prior to making any cuts, and no matter what is done the community needs to be a part of the journey.

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Gary Ian Tong

Age: 63

Occupation: Full time Mayor

The average rate increase for 2022/2023 financial year has been set at 9.25%. 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?

Council has acted on the information garnered through the Long term Plan submissions, hence the rate set at 9.25% as indicated. Council does not and cannot raise rates without consultation as defined in the Local Government Act - we have done that. 

Obviously Covid has caused significant delays in delivery and increased costs above budget and tenders. Council is continually monitoring and adjusting the current budgets while considering the affect decreased levels of service would have on infrastructure. This is not a simple process but I can assure you that it is occurring during our Services and Assets meetings.

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• Candidates Don Byars and Geoff Young did not provide an answer by deadline this week but we'll publish them on this page if and when we receive them.