In March of this year, international rating agency Fitch issued a "AA-, outlook stable" rating report for the Rotorua Lakes Council, using comments such as "the council's improving fiscal performance, strong management and sound socio-economic profile" to support its findings.
Fitch described Rotorua's positive rating factor as being theresult of "transparent reporting and financial disclosure, strong controls and supervision". Rotorua's debt/current revenue ratio is "high compared to that of its international AA peers, but is supported by council's adequate financial flexibility, including predictable revenue and access to local government funding".
And then I read from Tracey McLeod in the Rotorua Daily Post (Letters, November 2) that our council are like "children being let loose with their parent's credit card", she describes our council as being "naughty disobedient children" and that we should all "scold them for their idiotic actions". Comments that can best be described as juvenile and facetious in my view.
I think that it is much more safe to rely on the analysis of Fitch, rather than that of Tracey McLeod and others like her who are frequent knockers of anything Rotorua does. They seldom find anything good about council expenditure, such that I am starting to believe that their vision for Rotorua cannot extend beyond the likes of drainage systems and manhole covers.
I read with horror (Rotorua Daily Post, November 2) that Tim Hammond, chief executive of InfraCore, has asked for pay cuts for some of its staff, stating that wages were "out of kilter", whilst other staff will get pay rises.
This is the council-controlled organisation which, among other things, manages our beautiful parks and gardens. Is it going to be another example of the all too common occurrence where those physically doing the work are going to be hit while those sitting behind desks are rewarded, I wonder? Cuts of $6000 or more are suggested. This is a huge amount of money for workers but would have minimal impact on the take home pay of those with six figure salaries.
I agree with Geoff Williams when he says that they are "doing a superb job". Perhaps he should renegotiate the council relationship with this CCO, because we need this "superb job" to continue.
