Two Western Bay Mayoralty candidates believe the district council's fiscal position is not strong and debt needs to be reduced by cutting back to core services and boosting growth.

But incumbent WBOPDC Mayor Ross Paterson refuted the claims in his candidacy speech at Katikati's Meet the Candidates event last night, saying the council is in a strong position – and a $142million dollar debt can be reduced to $80m through five years of flat-lining.

Ross told the audience the council is making progress reducing debt from $150m to $142m.

'We plan to flatline that for about another five years, and then for five to 10 years after that we will bring it down to $80m.

'We have no problem with paying for our debt and we are not borrowing any money to achieve that.”

But fellow Mayoral candidates Don Thwaites and Mark Boyle disagreed, putting forward their own plans to bring the council back into financial healthiness.

Don, who was a Kaimai ward councillor last term, believes council needs to primarily target six key district-wide activities – roading, wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, reserves, and libraries – before focusing on other expenditure.

'I believe those six need to be taken aside. I think we spend too much time at council where we lose their track on parochial activities. If a concept comes up for $10,000 we will debate it for an hour – those are issues need separating away.”

Mark – a Te Puke-based candidate campaigning for the Mayoralty – unveiled his platform for change, saying the council's financial position is not strong, and growth is needed to bring other incomes to the authority, so it can keep a lid on rates increases.

Western Bay Mayoralty candidate Don Thwaites.

'[This] council actually has a weak balance sheet not a strong balance sheet – it has no provision for disaster or for upcoming instruct needs – we're paying 20cents of every dollar of revenue council receives paying interest on debt – things are not good – so we have to get growth and attack costs of council, listen to ratepayers, and delegate authority to community boards.”

Don's focus on the figures, explaining council's long-term and annual plans and equating it to be a $75m business per annum (including taking $52m rates and charges), saw him present a budget for Eastern and Western areas of Western Bay to save $1.5 m per area.

'If you take out town promotion, town centre [development], pools, solid waste, halls and environmental – if you put all together – there is $1.5m [available] per area.

'I'd like to see that grow to achieve all these [other] activities, but we need to get the basics right first and then work on the rest second.”

But Ross spent his four minutes re-capping all of the growth initiated via council so far under his leadership, citing a list of projects including, but not limited to, rapid expansion at Comvita, development in Te Puke in the face of Psa-V and ahead of the bypass coming in two years, Tauranga Eastern Link creating jobs, plans for a Tauranga tertiary facility, and a newly formed agreement of cooperation friendship and trade with a Chinese province.

'I think it's one of most astounding blocks to build our economy going forward, and it's going to be a benefit for the whole sub-region.”

Council has cut costs by reducing council staff from 189 to 139, is looking to amalgamate water and wastewater schemes; and is set to work with Tourism Bay of Plenty to bring cruise ship tourist transport to Katikati to boost the local economy, say Ross.

'We are in a very good position with tight fiscal control with no risk to our bottom line balance sheet.”

Mark is selling himself on being able to implement bigger growth in the district and in turn council increase the non-rates form of income to solve debt woes.

If elected, Mark says his fundamental changes will include broadening the rate base via economic growth and development attracting investment, industry, jobs and people; making the district more competitive with neighbouring territorial authorities; and being at the forefront of local government reform, is all part of his platform for change.

'People expect core services from council not luxuries – we need to be efficient, cost effective and affordable,” says Mark.

Western Bay Mayoralty candidate Ross Paterson (incumbent).

The trio put forward their arguments for the top job before answering three questions from the 60-strong audience – with the most pertinent question being Katikati resident Don Wallis' asking why Katikati's nemesis topic – the long awaited town bypass – is not being fought for by the council?

Ross said responsibility for State Highway 2 – and the bypass – lay with the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Mark believed the answer lay in Katikati fine-tuning itself into a destination of choice for travellers – possible with it being widely known as the mural town of the country.

Don said the Christchurch earthquake has 'changed the game” of funding for roading 'and sadly the funds just aren't there”.

'I am champion of this road too… but in the financial contributions we've got a big shortfall looming,” said Don.

Western Bay Mayoralty candidate Mark Boyle.

Half of the crowd at Katikati's Meet the Candidates event last night listen to their local candidates.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Western Bay candidate Tim Short wears a lifejacket to the event.