The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is alarmed by reports that Wellington City Council Chief Executive Matt Prosser is working to undermine the democratic mandate of Mayor Andrew Little and Councillors.

Spokesman for the Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance James Ross said:

“While we question the financial wisdom of insourcing cleaning services, we respect the democratic mandate with which Mayor Little and Councillors have made the decision to consider the option.”

“The Chief Executive has no business telling the democratically elected Mayor and Councillors what policy decisions they can and can’t make.”

“The line between governance and management is too often weaponised by recalcitrant officers who are pushing their own barrow.”

“But ultimately it is up to the Mayor and the Councillors to decide where that line should be drawn.”

Responding to Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter’s opinion in Saturday’s The Post, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, James Ross, said:

“Julie Anne Genter misses the target. Using private companies to manage infrastructure is often a perfectly sound decision. For example, does Ms Genter believe Wellington airport should be 100 percent owned and operated by the council?”

“Wellington Water’s problem is poor governance and lack of accountability, clearly demonstrated by its inadequate contract management practices. The lack of effective oversight or disciplined management practices meant the environmental and financial disaster facing Wellington ratepayers was always likely to happen.”

“The dysfunction at Wellington Water mirrors the chaos in its major parent organisation: Wellington City Council. Whether it’s Moa Point or the Town Hall reconstruction, neither organisation seems capable of managing major capital works.”

“Blaming private operators for the failure is a soft and easy option. What is needed is a root cause analysis that rigorously examines the contracting model, governance structures, and lines of accountability. We expect the government inquiry to pull no punches.”

Responding to today’s reporting that Wellington Water is now refusing to answer any further questions about the state of the failed Moa Point sewerage plant, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson James Ross said:

“This position is totally unacceptable. Ratepayers deserve answers as soon as Wellington Water has them.”

“Hiding behind a yet to be completed inquiry shows an unwillingness to provide full and frank information to the public that they have so badly let down. It smacks of an unwillingness to be accountable to the people they serve. But this should come as no surprise as Wellington Water has a long track record of contract and financial mismanagement that it has been unwilling to address.”

“The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance calls on the mayors of the region to yank on Wellington Water’s chain and bring them to heel. Providing full and frank information, as soon as it comes to hand, is a requirement for an environmental and public disaster of this magnitude. As Mayor Little is completely blameless in this fiasco, we call on him to take the lead in pulling Wellington Water into line.”

Wellington ratepayers will have their rates bills hiked to cover a $3.43 million budgeting error. Responding to this, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson James Ross said that “the incompetence at Wellington City Council is beyond belief.”

“On top of all the budgeting and contract management blunders unearthed by the recent Deloitte report, turns out Wellington City Council can’t even get people’s rates bills right. Does the council exercise any financial controls at all?”

“Council made the error, Council should wear it, and this is not an excuse to bilk ratepayers. There’s plenty of room for them to make savings before coming back to turn the ratepayer tap back back on.”

“The critical question is who is being held accountable? Apologies are cheap, and Mayor Andrew Little needs to take the opportunity to instil some consequences for failure into the culture at Wellington City Council.”

The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Wellington Water for spending $1.3 million on a communications budget that was kept hidden by the previous senior leadership.

Leadership also directed staff not to ask for overall costs, resulting in consultants being hired to manage other consultants and communications companies brought in to manage the fallout from consultant spending.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, James Ross, said:

“Ratepayers were fleeced out of money meant for repairs across the failing water network, with funds instead leaking to unnecessary consultants while. If senior leadership weren’t embarrassed by this, why did they try to hide it?”

“The new Tiaki Wai Metro Water group cannot repeat the failings of the old. With $18 billion in assets and $25 billion in investment needed over the next 30 years, ratepayers will be expecting more for their money.”

“Tiaki Wai Metro Water needs to lead the way for the other new water groupings by being a slimmer, more effective organisation that prioritises transparency.

Responding to Wellington City Council pausing the Golden Mile revamp after warnings the cost could blow out from $139m to $220m, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesman James Ross said:

“It’s not normal for projects to regularly overshoot their budgets by 60 percent anywhere except local government. Every idea Wellington City Council touches blows out because its capital budgeting process is unfit for purpose. What’s being done to fix this underlying failure at council?”

“Years of disruption will shutter Wellington’s CBD. Residents don’t want that or the $2,750-per-household price tag they’ll have to pay for the privilege, and it doesn’t take a six-figure review to tell you that.”

“The new council were half-right to pause the Golden Mile. Now’s the time to can the project entirely, alongside other failed money sinks like the $4,000-per-household Town Hall fiasco.”

The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out the $36,599 cost of Wellington City Council’s swearing-in event, including $3250 for “pōwhiri cultural services/entertainment” and $3500 on “plant hire” which Mayor Andrew Little has refused to comment on.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesman, James Ross, said:

“Ratepayers voted for a mayor who promised to get “a firmer grip on council spending to keep rates down.” Yet before they’ve gotten into the chamber, tens of thousands have already been spent on a victory party.”

“Wellingtonians are sick of seeing their money spent on non essentials. While there’s much bigger fish to fry like the Golden Mile and Town Hall spend-ups, this certainly doesn’t paint the picture of a strong start.”

“With rates spiralling 47 percent on average over the last three years and people leaving the city in droves, Wellington now needs a low cost, disciplined council that prioritises growing the city rather than prioritising ways to spend money on itself.”

Responding to The Post’s coverage of the damage tens of millions of dollars of ‘improvements’ have done to Thorndon Quay, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman James Ross said:

“Wellingtonians are tired of paying hundreds of dollars per household to make the city a worse place to live.”

“Shuttered shops and closed cafes suck the life out of our city. With $1,700-per-household already lined up to turn the Golden Mile into a building site, Thorndon Quay is just the start.”

“Council needs to pull the plug before Golden Mile contracts are signed next month. Otherwise we can forget her $7,000 portrait, Wellington’s empty CBD will be more than enough of a monument to Tory Whanau’s time in office.”

The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance says proposals to cut 63 roles at Wellington City Council are a necessary step to rein in the back-office bloat, but they don’t go far enough.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesman, James Ross, said:

“Wellington Council’s wage bill has exploded 40 percent is just five years, and the number of salaries over $200,000 has jumped from 17 to 39. A little trim off the top isn’t going to cut it.”

“Half of the 63 roles on the line are already vacant. Ratepayers will only believe Council is serious about savings when it tackles its own ballooning layers of management and waste.”

“Rates have increased 47 percent in just three years, and even then core services are falling apart. Ratepayers need a lean council focussed on getting the basics right, not more six-figure executives finding inventive new ways to waste money.”