As a self proclaimed advocate of democracy I’ve never found it hard to speak truth to power.
For kicks, I often go to council meetings, so I was there when journalists rushed to surround new Mayor Wayne Brown at tea break during the special meeting on the annual budget just before Christmas.
Mr Fixit had looked over the council budget and suggested numerous cuts and savings to achieve the aim of recovering a $295 million dollar shortfall caused by rampant inflation and escalating interest rates.
‘If it bleeds, it leads’ is the media motto. So instead of the media explaining the next step in the consultation process, where the public are invited to comment on any aspect of the budget, they inferred that cuts were coming to the services we all love and value. They created an atmosphere of fear and misinformation portraying Mr Fixit as Mr Hatchet. But let me tell you from experience, nothing moves that fast at council.
From March until June there is time to read the budget, comprehend the numbers, make suggestions, speak at local board meetings, write a submission or fill in an online questionnaire. If you care, can find the time, if you realise that suggestions made by citizens can change how a city is funded and operates, please make it your goal this year to participate a little more in local politics.
The mayor’s proposal within the annual budget stands out like a lone beacon flashing a warning light on the windswept waves of our city finances. Like him or loathe him, Mayor Brown has cast his net across the council controlled organisations suggesting cuts and savings of $25 million from Auckland Transport, $27.5 million from Auckland Unlimited and $5 million from Eke Panuku Development.
Personally, I think we could cut $250 million from Auckland Transport’s $3 billion yearly budget to help plug the city’s $295 million shortfall.
Recently I discovered that the average cost to create, maintain and renew 1km of urban road in Auckland is approximately $60,000 per year.
This includes costs associated with: road, pavements, surfaces, kerb, channel and road sweeping. Given there is approximately 7,000 km of roads in the Auckland region I calculated that the cost to manage and maintain all our existing roads would be approximately $420,000,000 per annum. This is just one sixth of AT’s annual budget which leaves heaps to spend on mending the crumbling roads and broken footpaths in Rodney, Franklin and Waitakere. (Lisa Prager)
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