Brendan Davis believes the council is "not connected" to its community and it's time for the people of Rotorua to make it accountable.
In this interview with Local Focus, the John Paul College teacher, originally from Dublin, says the council needs to move with the times and address the issues of housing and homelessness, rising rates, debt and expensive projects such as the cycleway and Hemo Gorge sculpture.
Davis says the council hasn't thought through the Lakefront upgrade and it needs to go back to the drawing board.
"I could not justify $40 million. With people not having homes and stuff like that, my morals just would not let me spend that money. It's just not on."
If Davis had to give marks out of 10 for the council's performance, the teacher says he would score it a seven.
