In reply to John Pakes' letter (August 28), I'd like him to know that I'm all for sport, recreation, the environment, arts and culture, but suggest he acquaints himself with the pie chart on page three of Tatau Tatau, which is not my "calculations".
The council calculations expressed in "How your rates are spent" apportion 15 per cent to sports, recreation and the environment and 13 per cent to arts and culture. That compares with 11 per cent for roading and footpaths and 6 per cent for stormwater and drainage, which are essential services.
I fully support maintenance. However, my objection is to the huge amount of money spent on what would be nice (if we could afford it without adding to our already growing debt).
Why do we need a flash nearly $20 million Lakefront when a good tidy-up would do? Why do we need a huge sculpture at a roundabout? Why did we need a $12 million upgrade of the library when earthquake strengthening and refurbishment would have been adequate under the circumstances?
In the Rotorua Daily Post (August 25), it states that repair and maintenance of our 670km of footpaths is given $260,000 pa (half a sculpture) and replacement work $500,000 pa (one sculpture).
