Our commissioners have done a pretty good job of the LTP. Their reasons for the huge rates increases are that previous councils have underspent on infrastructure replacement. Obviously many ratepayers have been hit badly by the increases - pensioners more than most as they don't really have recourse to handouts from Social Welfare.

Council have offered to help them by spreading the payments. What?! That's not helping. Helping would consist of finding an avenue where they will pay less. Most of them have paid for the existing infrastructure, why should they pay for it again?

The commissioners, being a government-appointed body, will have been instructed to push the 'three waters” proposal mooted by Nanaia Mahuta. When we consider that Tauranga city has, arguably, the best quality water in New Zealand and will shortly be ahead of demand for some years, we certainly don't need another government body demanding more money for work that is scheduled to be paid for by our outrageous rates demands.

It's obvious that we need to look at who we want as councillors once we are allowed to have them again, and maybe a different way of electing a new Mayor. The last one didn't work out that well, did it? Perhaps their rules need to change so that infrastructure maintenance, repairs and replacement take priority over everything else.

The ball's in your court, ratepayers.

Dan Russell, Tauranga (abridged).