Brace yourself Gore ratepayers.... Here we go again
It seems inevitable the Gore District Council is heading towards a similar sort of destiny as the Invercargill City Council - and it’s one the Gore ratepayers should be wary about.
ANALYSIS: In August 2020, the Department of Internal Affairs sent a letter to the Invercargill City Council.
The DIA was concerned about “significant conflict” at the council following a series of code of conduct complaints, as well as “stone in the shoe issues”.
It was a letter that triggered a chain of discussions, independent reviews, and the introduction of a couple of independent advisors at the council.
The council spent 18 months working on addressing DIA's concerns. The project was called “Working on Working Together”.
It came at a cost to the people of Invercargill - $558,000 to be precise. Below the $730,000 that was initially budgeted.
Part of that was the cost of having external observers Jeff Grant and Lindsay McKenzie around the table helping elected members.
Their experience and expertise were obvious, they did at times provide the exact guidance required. But the Invercargill ratepayers needed that added cost as much as a toothache.
The current situation where its reducing services and cutting costs where possible to get the rate rise down to 5.5%, highlights that.
The worth of that whole process is debatable given the “Working on Working Together” project was completed and months later a new council was voted in.
Could that $558,000 have been better used elsewhere? Like the much-needed CCTV infrastructure upgrade?
There will be those that will suggest the $558,000 investment was worth it to point the council in the right direction, others will cynically say it was an expensive “babysitting” service.
Why is this relevant now?
Well, it seems inevitable the Gore District Council is heading towards a similar sort of destiny - and it’s one the Gore ratepayers should be wary about.
Late last year it become obvious the relationship between new Gore Mayor Ben Bell and the council’s chief executive Steve Parry was strained.
The relationship is now all but non-existent.
On Thursday an extraordinary meeting was held where the matter was addressed.
It was agreed to nominate and appoint an elected member to act as a dedicated intermediary between the mayor and chief executive for governance and relevant operational matters.
You’d think if the Department of Internal Affairs was to send the letter the way of the Invercargill City Council in 2020 one would now be in cyber post to Gore.
Without having an in-depth knowledge of the Gore District Council, the matters at hand actually seem more challenging than when DIA penned a letter to the Invercargill City Council in 2020 with a sort of “please explain” tone.
In a response to questions a DIA spokesperson stated the DIA has no formal monitoring function.
“Councils are accountable to their communities for their actions and decisions, rather than to the Department of Internal Affairs”
It has not reached out to the Gore council and says at this stage it has no plans to send a letter to the Gore District Council, as it did with the Invercargill City Council.
If the DIA don’t get involved you’ve still got a situation where their mayor and CEO are not talking. That cannot be healthy.
Although, if the DIA eventually did request a plan of attack from the Gore council, as to how it will address the situation, that will likely come at a cost. Again I point you back to that $558,000 bill that the folk in Invercargill had to sort.
No councils need added costs at the moment, but for a council like Gore with such a small ratepayer base, it is an expense that would be unfair to the already stretched ratepayers.
Let’s be honest, the whole situation it seems has a fair bit of sadness, intrigue, and powerplays all mixed together in one big political melting pot.
For a start, Ben Bell at 23 years old is New Zealand’s youngest mayor. The CEO which Bell and his fellow council colleagues effectively employ is closing in on 23 years in the job.
That’s an unusual situation in itself.
Bell’s mother Rebecca Tayler was previously employed as the Gore District Council’s general manager of regulatory and community services.
She departed after a lengthy employment matter with the Gore District Council.
In October, soon after the election, Bell told Stuff he would be able to work with all councillors and staff as the new mayor.
When asked whether his bid for mayor was him seeking revenge over his mother’s employment matter, Bell said “no”.
Good luck to all you fine Gore ratepayers.