"Let’s be clear: regional councils deserve to be sent off with a pat on the back and a firm shove. They’ve become expensive holding pens for consultants, issuing bylaws no one asked for, and running consultations no one understands. Water quality down, rates up, and when something goes wrong, they blame climate change and hand out a glossy brochure.
"But what we’re being sold as the solution (this idea of a 'mayoral body' running the show) is not a solution. It’s a camel designed by a committee of camels. It takes the worst aspects of regional councils and fuses them with a structural contradiction that will blow up the first time anything controversial hits the table. ...
"In the name of reform, we’re being handed a muddle. No ultimate authority. No single accountable figure. Just a table full of mayors all claiming to be regional leaders while keeping one eye on the local Facebook page and the other on next year’s campaign posters.
"It’s not just bad governance. It’s impossible governance."~ Zoran Rakovic from his post 'From Council to Circus: Mayors in a Regional Tent'
▼
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome thoughtful disagreement.
But we do (ir)regularly moderate comments -- and we *will* delete any with insulting or abusive language. Or if they're just inane. It’s okay to disagree, but pretend you’re having a drink in the living room with the person you’re disagreeing with. This includes me.
PS: Have the honesty and courage to use your real name. That gives added weight to any opinion.