Re: ‘Council eyes diverse future', page 4, (The Weekend Sun, May 13). Western Bay of Plenty District Council chief executive John Holyoake wants more diversity – not only around the council table but in the organisation itself.

Mr Holyoake is paid by the district's ratepayers to ensure that the council operates efficiently in furnishing the services that council is required to provide to the residents of the district. Even though he has not been in the job very long, it appears he is not doing a very good job judging by the very high rates we pay in comparison to the rest of New Zealand.

What we don't pay Mr Holyoake to do is to provide advice to us as to what sort of people we should vote for in the upcoming Local Body Elections. It is not his job to tell us what age group or what ethnicity we should vote for.

As an employee of council, but answerable only to the Mayor, it is difficult to believe that he has embarked on this anti-democracy crusade without the backing of Garry Webber. Mr Webber needs to front up and state where he stands on this issue. If Mr Holyoake has decided what sort of councillors he wants without the approval of the Mayor, he should resign. If he has the approval of the Mayor for his little anti-democracy crusade, they should both resign.

Keith Hay, chairman, Katikati-Waihi Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association.

Editor's note: The Weekend Sun asked Western Bay of Plenty District Council CEO John Holyoake and Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Garry Webber to reply to the letters above. They declined in this instance.