Former Mayor enters race early with an anti-water meter policy 

By Alan Tristram

Former Hutt Mayor David Ogden says he will be taking a strong anti-water meter line when he campaigns for the Kāpiti Coast mayoralty next year.

Mr Ogden, a chartered accountant who has homes in Waikanae and the Hutt Valley, says he will also be aiming to cut the steep rate rises which have prevailed on the Coast in recent years.

And he says he will be aiming to reduce the district’s debt levels as he was successful in doing with the Hutt City Council.

Water meters not necessary

On the water meter issue, Mr Ogden says they are ‘not necessary.’

“There is plenty of water in the region,”he says.

“When  they put in Transmission Gully they should run a pipeline to the Kāpiti area.”  He adds: “There probably needs to be a dam in the area too.”

Not personal

Mr Ogden, who was defeated in a bitter fight in the last Hutt election, stresses that he will not be attacking Kāpiti Mayor Jenny Rowan next year.

“I would honour what she has done,” he says. “It would be more along the line of: It might be time for a change.'”

Strong financial background

Mr Ogden also stresses the Hutt Council’s success under him in keeping rate rises down to just above the rate of inflation — and at the same time reducing debt levels.

This is something he sees as vital on the Coast, with its very high level of elderly people on fixed incomes.

And he says he would take a very close look at the efficiency of the Council and its staff.

23 years local body experience

With 23 years local body experiencebehind him, David Ogden is clearly proud of what he managed to achieve in the Hutt.

And he says he’s ready to go into action on the same lines here.

 

 

 

 

 

Former Hutt mayor David Ogden wants to be Kapiti’s next mayor.

Last week the two-term mayor, defeated in 2010, confirmed he is eyeing a run in next year’s election.

Mr Ogden said there is a possibility that a super-city would be in place by the time elections are held in October.

“If not, there will be one more term in my view and I’d like to be involved in politics around the region in those three years.”

Mr Ogden was dumped by Hutt voters when he stood for a third term, losing to Ray Wallace by 5000 votes in a bitter campaign.

Last week Mr Ogden took a low-key approach to sparking his run for Kapiti, saying he would not be attacking anybody.

“If I stand then it won’t be as an attack on mayor Jenny Rowan, who I’ve sat alongside for three years when our times overlapped. It would be more along the line of ‘it might be time for a change’.”

The chartered accountant accepted he would be tagged as a carpetbagger in Kapiti, where he owns a home in Waikanae and has business and sporting links.

“I am what I am. I’m an experienced, achieving local politician. Everybody that comes new into a scene is a carpetbagger. You’ve got to start somewhere.”

He said defeated mayors can get “bitter and twisted” after losing but he has been a “perfe