Editorial: Tough choices ahead

Libraries are one of the cornerstones of a city. Photo/Thinkstock

A friend became concerned about a strange red mark on her stomach. About to book an urgent check at the Skin Centre, she recalled she had been reading her library book long into the night. The Luminaries had made a dent in her skin.

She may be one of a dwindling few library book readers, as others turn to e-readers.

I remain a huge fan of libraries and have roamed them since I was a child.

When the council tried to axe some of the city's library services in 2010, I protested. Libraries are one of the cornerstones of a city. They have evolved over time. City libraries are not just guardians of books, but have become centres of knowledge. The multipurpose function of city libraries means there is less need to have a library in each suburb. Although "nice to have", it is not economically viable to replace Greerton library for $3.5 million.

The mobile library represents just 2.7 per cent of library issues. Axing it saves $86,000.

The council has difficult decisions to make. Cost cutting will not be popular. Debt at conservative estimates is $380 million, predicted to grow more than 10 per cent over 10 years. The council must provide expensive infrastructure and essential services for a rapidly growing city while keeping debt from mushrooming.

Councillor Steve Morris says ratepayers need to see what "financial discipline looked like", and "the medicine is unpleasant but the patient needs it."

The city needs discipline to tackle the debt. But for city dwellers to accept reduced services, people need to see that Tauranga Council is also exercising financial restraint.

Last year's council restructuring did little to shrink bureaucracy. The $2.7 million that was supposed to be saved washed up to be just $1.5 million of savings with nearly $1 million in redundancies. Now the council's events team is nearly back up to its pre-restructuring levels. We also revealed last year that Tauranga ratepayers paid $1.6 million last year to fund the council's publicity machine.

That's expensive PR advice. I am willing to give some for free: Council could take a lesson from the commercial sector which saw many companies battle through the global financial crisis by cutting budgets and staff. If Tauranga Council shows willingness to take its share of the bad medicine, then Tauranga city will find it easier to swallow.