Are ratepayers funding recipe books
Affordable Auckland Mayoral & Albany candidate Stephen Berry today called for the cost of a recipe book being provided free to Kaipatiki residents to
be made public. “The latest rates bills saw residents of Kaipatiki facing an average increase of 16%. If their money is
being spent haphazardly then they deserve to know.”
Stephen Berry says he doesn’t know how much ratepayer money has been spent on the recipe booklet. “Incredibly neither
does anyone on the Kaipatiki Local Board. The decision to create the book was made by the Kaipatiki Community Facilities
Trust, which is partly funded Kaipatiki Local Board. Nobody on the Board knows if the money was sourced from them or how
much it cost despite there being a Local Board logo on the cover. Ratepayers deserve greater transparency when it comes
to spending their money.”
Mr. Berry has committed to keeping rates increases below the level of inflation if he is elected to Council or as Mayor.
“This is a realistic pledge if politicians are willing to be disciplined in their spending and respectful of the source
of their funding. Should they continue in the frivolous vein that has seen the creation of $10,000 traffic light
percussion instruments and $25,000 artificial beaches ratepayers will continue to face double digit rates increases
every year.”
Affordable Auckland favours restricting spending by Councils and Local Boards to the core services specified in the
Local Government Act. “The basic essentials such as parks, rubbish collection and footpaths should be well maintained
and fully paid for by the Council. A recipe book certainly does not fall into that category.”
ENDS