Philip Jacobs

I refer to Diane McCarthy’s article in Wednesday’s, March 5, Beacon, about the Whakatāne District Council’s new chief executive, Steven Perdia – don’t make me laugh.

“He lists a clear directive from council to lead the organisation out of its current operating deficit as the foremost of the challenges.”

Where is that written down? Ratepayers should hold him to it every inch of the way and not pay the price in our rates when he fails.

Can Mr Perdia explain why at the council briefing on 19th February:

* He received approval to proceed with an 11.7 percent rates rise for 2025-26 without any explanation of which areas of council are demanding more and driving up our rates bill.

* He failed to tell the mayor and councillors what the expected operating deficit for 2025-26 would be and whether it would be more or less than this year’s expected $14.4 million deficit.

* He failed to table council’s capital works programme wish list for 2025-26 for at least a cursory review by the mayor and councillors.

* He failed to announce a forecast for council debt levels at June 30,  2026 and whether or not he and his staff have managed to reduce expected debt levels by a single dollar from the estimate of $215.8 million in the 2024-34 Long- Term Plan.

* He failed to table draft financial statements for 2025-26 for review by the mayor and councillors.

* How an annual plan with an 11.7 percent planned rates rise can be approved for finalisation without a draft set of financial statements proving that the numbers add up?

Regarding the Drivers for FTE Growth graph (page 134 of the agenda) that Mr Perdia presented to council on 19th February:

* He compared and justified increased staff costs with the out-of-control council operating expenditure over the period 2015-2024, which has led to the current operating deficit.

* Over nine years, he justified an 8.1 percent compound increase in staff costs against a 6.6 percent compound increase in council operating costs against a 3.0 percent compound increase in the consumer’s price index. hhhhmmm?

* The numbers speak for themselves – council spending and staff numbers are out of control and if indeed there is a relationship between operating cost spending and staff numbers, ratepayers look forward to deep staff cuts when council is forced by the Government to eliminate its nice-to-have operating cost spending.

And then there is “the district’s desperate need for new housing and commercial developments”.

Direct participation in such activities is none of council’s business. Where would the money come from and before Mr Perdia puts a single thought on paper can we please bury that dead horse otherwise known as the Boat Harbour.

I remain, as ever, a vigilant ratepayer not wanting to pay ever-increasing rates.