Letters: How much is magazine costing us?

How much is Rotorua Lakes Council spending on its magazine, asks a reader. Photo/File

I started the new week finding in my letterbox a glossy, colourful, expensive looking magazine, Tatau Tatau: Us Together.

Seeing this council has, in my view, acquired a reputation for spending ratepayers' money, the first thing that struck me was; How much is this production going to cost me and every other ratepayer?

This magazine leaves us with as many questions as answers, starting with how much is council's total income from rates in dollars, not percentages? Does the total of Community Leadership 9 per cent plus Planning & Regulatory 3 per cent, amount to the total pay packets of the mayor, council and staff? What do all council staff including the CCOs cost us?

If I ask council it will blame me for the cost of such questions at $76 an hour, even though I have right of access to such information. Thankfully we also still have a free press.

Whipping up resentment against whistle blowers for the notional costs to ratepayers is, in my view, the council's way of discouraging ratepayers from asking for information they would really like to know, and should know.

This council, as an organisation, is provided with ratepayers' opinions and detailed advice free of charge by the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers. But since it ignores the advice, the least the council should do is provide the RDRR with a page to let them publish the information they feel we should know. (Abridged)

Harry Brasser
Rotorua

Footpath responsibility

I am delighted that councillor Charles Sturt has put up his hand and claimed responsibility for the footpaths in Rotorua (Letters, August 8).

I am a resident in the Glenholme area as is Sturt.

I can confirm there are many tripable and uneven surfaces that could easily be repaired.

I am referring to Wylie St in particular. With the Ministry of Health spending so much money on fall prevention it really does behove our council to provide a less hazardous area for our residents.

The loose pavers in the CBD area are hazards too.

Now that Sturt has assumed responsibility of our footpaths I look forward to all these hazards being repaired in the immediate future - preferably before the next election.

Maggie Bentley
Rotorua