Council Needs Ratepayer Mandate on Electra Block Vote
By Cr K Gurunathan
This Thursday KCDC is preparing to consider council’s ‘right’ to block vote in the current Electra Trust Board elections.
Council’s 249 votes have the potential to make a significant impact on the outcome where five candidates are vying for two vacant seats on the Board. This is a controversial council move.
‘Votes belong to ratepayers‘
I believe the 249 votes held by council do not belong to the elected members but they belong to ratepayers. It is held in ‘trust’ by council on behalf of ratepayers. As such council has an obligation to ask its ratepayers first. This debate has to be settled before councillors can exercise their presumed right to block vote. At last count there is a clear majority in council to exercise this block vote.
This Thursday’s council meeting has scheduled another public opportunity for the five candidates to present their case on why they should be elected to the Board. I urge the candidates — Duncan Hill, David Scott, Ray Latham, Tony Rush and, especially Chris Turver — to turn up to not just present their individual cases on why they are the best candidates but to engage on the wider democratic debate about the legitimacy of council’s presumed right to use the 249 votes without a ratepayer mandate.
I also support the statement by Mr Tony Rush, in Electra’s candidates election profile where he says; “The Trust is also a bit of a closed shop so he wants to make its work more public”.
‘Nothing done to increase democratic participation
This is backed by the fact that participation by eligible voters in Electra elections has always been very small and nothing has been done to increase greater democratic participation.
This is despite the Electra Trust being one of the most successful consumer trusts in the country contributing millions annually back into the local consumers and economy through its rebates. It is high time there was a greater participation.
I congratulate Mayor Jenny Rowan and my fellow councillors for making a bold move to create a public platform for the candidates.
But the mayor and councillors should not assume they have an automatic right to exercise council’s 249 votes. I am depending on Mr Turver to turn up on Thursday and use his vast experience and persuasive skills to support my contention that councillors need a mandate.
The public, and the media as community watchdogs, need to see the cut and thrust of this debate. The other councillors and I will no doubt have some challenging questions to put to the candidates.
Mr Turver’s and any other candidates refusal to turn up could lead to a public perception that they support the Trust’s continuing existence as a “closed shop” hidden from greater public scrutiny.
Thank you, Guru, for picking up on what I said at the LTP Hearings on Tuesday on behalf of Grey Power that ‘Council should be consulting with the community who pay for the power connections not with the candidates.
Oh the irony – a KCDC councillor admonishing Trustees (equivalent of a Board or Council) of another entity on the appearance of being a “closed shop”. Hmmm, pot, kettle, black; and somewhat sanctimonious. It’s a shame that KCDC holds all its PUBLIC meetings at 10.00am on a weekday when many of us are working or running businesses. So, if KCDC is really welcoming public scrutiny of its meetings, decision making and practices, how about some meetings that we can attend, and how about having some robust debate at these meetings so we can actually hear what individual councillors think on issues rather than coming into the meeting from the ‘closed door’ sessions held prior to every council meeting (euphamistically called “briefings” but are where the real discussions and decisions are made). The first part of Guru’s statement is the only relevant part – Council does not have a ratepayer mandate to exercise its votes as a bloc vote – END OF.
While I know Mr Turver and Mr Scott ,I have no idea of the experiance of the other candidates in such a body as “Electra Trust ” . I think that experiance is very importantin . What time will the meeting be on and can the rate payers turn up ?
How can those who are a shame to the ratepayer, have any shame. Let them do their worst I say, the merry go round will be stopping soon. While a year is a long time in politics, it won’t be forever. Anyone who thinks these council people will get the public’s trust via their votes should start smoking a different brand, they ain’t got a hope in hell of getting in again. Be also very weary of those who profess they are against “water meters, so vote for me”. It’s they oldest trick in the book!
But if all we get is the same bunch of idiots standing, what do you do?
Chris for mayor?
Under NO circumstances should the 249 block vote be used by KCDC in the current Electra Trust Board elections, it will be totally un-democratic, and totally against majority of Kapiti Ratepayers, especially those who are dependant on the one off annual payment to put towards their power bill.
It would be a complete disregard of ratepayers rights, if the mayor and her cronies passed this.
It would certainly be another nail in the mayors coffin, together with the councillors.
Do these people have no shame in suggesting such a tactic?
Nice summing up Roy, looking at the current sentiment towards KCDC from many of its rate payers I wouldn’t be surprised if one of us presents a legal challenge.
It looks to me like the KCDC is going to break the law !
And I’m still not paying rates.