"After a decade of vanity projects, wasteful spending and empty gestures, Auckland Council’s abysmal financial management is finally catching up with it. While some may delight in its downfall, the residents and ratepayers are left to face the brunt of its inept management."
On Monday the NZ Herald published an opinion piece from me about the spending issues at Auckland Council.
Like many Aucklanders, I'm frustrated that Council has wasted it's first decade with poor financial decisions and missed opportunities. Basics like park maintenance, road safety and public transport have suffered while money was poured into vanity projects. We're now facing a massive revenue shortfall and services are being cut, while rates and debt continues to rise.
Soon Auckland Council will begin it's consultation on the next Long Term Plan for the next 10 years. We need to ensure that we get our priorities right, or we'll be having this same discussion in another decade.
My opinion piece in the NZ Herald Monday 30 November 2020