Tauranga City Council chief executive Stephen Town's decision to purchase a Cliff Road property for $400,000 has drawn criticism, but he has acted in accordance with policy.
Councillor Bill Grainger first 'outed' the confidential topic at a meeting last week, asking Stephen if he had paid $400,000 of council money for a property adjacent to The Elms.
Tauranga City Council Mayor Stuart Crosby and chief executive Stephen Town.
Councillors revisited the subject at their monitoring committee meeting on Monday when Stephen presented his mandate.
He told council he is empowered by a policy which originated with the previous council. It enables him to spend money from the non-rate funding strategic property account on the purchase of strategic properties.
This policy was reviewed in June 2009 with city councillors wanting to become more involved in the process. Three of them: Mike Baker, Wayne Moultrie, and Bill Faulkner now have to be informed when Stephen exercises the mandate.
Bill Grainger is outraged that Stephen went ahead with the Cliff Road purchase without informing the full council as it occurred as they were about to vote on Cliff Road as the museum site. This site is about 100m away from the purchased land.
Councillor Mike Baker chastised Bill for his reaction to the issue.
"Couldn't these questions be asked of the chief executive officer or mayor without it being discussed out in public as it was last week," says Mike.
"The ability to pick up the phone and talk to the chief executive or mayor would have resolved the issue without it being spread through SunLive."
Monitoring Committee Chairman Murray Guy supported Bill Grainger and said afterwards Bill's questions were echoed in many enquiries he has received on the subject.
"I'm there to represent the community on council," says Murray.
"If Murray Guy wants to know where is the mandate to allow the chief executive to spend that sort of money, I'm also asking for those I represent.
"If I ask it in the phone call, the community doesn't hear the answer."
Stephen intended to notify councillors of the purchase on the day it settled, May 28.
Until then, it was to be confidential.
Mayor Stuart Crosby says Bill Grainger's questioning of Stephen Town was an "interrogation".
"I'm just extremely disappointed that what should have been a celebration is turning into nothing more than attacks on the chief executive," says Stuart.
6 comments
Here we go again
Posted on 25-05-2010 14:01 | By Pat
Wake up Tauranga these people are determind to spend our money on Art and Crafts rubbish regardless of what we think This damm Mussem will be built even thou we dont wont it, Mussem by stealth Why cant we as the rate payers know whats goin on in council are we so stupid they dont want to waste their time talking to us ?
here we go again
Posted on 25-05-2010 14:16 | By Colin Beere
Pat get a life. What do you suggest?? Many Tauranga People are full of critizm and opposition but can not come up with an alternative thats practicle. or agreeable. While people continue to talk opportunities slip by. The museum is not built yet and may never be but the land will not be availiable at this price for whatever purpose forever.. If anything a great investment. well done Colin b
Thank you
Posted on 25-05-2010 14:51 | By SpeakUp
and shame on Stuart Crosby, Stephen Town, Mike Baker, Wayne Moultrie, Bill Faulkner and anybody else who thinks they can operate in clandestine manner. What a bunch of despotic, secretive and undemocratic public servants. Their names will be remembered and publicized before the upcoming council elections. We don t live in a totalitarian system yet. It is not whether the purchase of the 400K property was right or wrong. It is about the sneaky ways this Council operates. A pity that Council CEO Stephen Town, whose basic salary is more than the Prime Minister s (!), can t be un-elected by us. The people of Palmerston North kicked him out and we don t want him either. For a transparent, democratic and financially prudent local administration! Thank you Murray Guy and Bill Grainger for showing integrity and courage. It will not be forgotten. NB1: WE DO NOT WANT A MUSEUM! Get it? It s too expensive and just feeds Cosby and chums delusions of grandeur. We also had enough of the blatant ***removed by editor*** binding agreements with City Strategic Partners (businesses like Arbour Care , who get all the Council s work without normal democratic tendering processes). Tendering contracts have to be transparent. NB2: Collin Beere, how much sponsorship do you get from Council for your Village Radio at the Historic Village, how much do you get for YOUR new radio museum? "A nation of sheep will be governed by wolves." ---Edward R. Murrow---
MOCKERY OF DEMOCKERY-SEA
Posted on 26-05-2010 11:24 | By The Master
Colin you have missed the obvious point. TOWN hall have acted in a frivolous way, I have received much information that clearly shows the price paid was to high, showing clearly that to much was paid for 7 Mission Street. . The policy in place at present that allows Stephen Town CEO of TOWN Hall to consult only with Baker, Moultrie and Faulkner only is only intended to happen when an emergency, when of strategic importance is important AND most importantly no time to wander through council meetings None of the above criteria apply, therefore it is an abuse of power. All of this is complete indulgence in spending $400,000 of rate payers money for no apparent reason SHAME on them indeed ! MUSEUM only possible merit is if those who want it pay for it and guarantee the guaranteed to happen losses every year, good on you SPEAKUP
THE ELMS FARCE
Posted on 30-05-2010 12:10 | By ROCCO
RE: The ELMS FARCE The palace in question is at 7 Mission Street, not Cliff Road!! It is concerning they don t even know where it is! So the pointy heads at TCC think they played it by the book, according to their rose-coloured interpretation. Yeah, right! I think not. All the elected Councillors were not informed, even though plenty of other people already knew about the little plan, no urgency was involved, the purchase price paid was $500,000 over the top and still the foursome chased it down until they captured the poison pill prize. The plan was to keep it hush, hush until settlement took place, so that the mushroom Councillors wouldn t stir up the crap about it. The TCC driver, CEO Town and those Councillors involved in this mess have just kissed away $400,000 of ratepayer funds on fresh air and they don t have any mandate to do that under any circumstances. Their attitude seems to be they couldn t care less. SERFROFF
SMOKE SCREEN LIFTED TO LATE
Posted on 25-05-2010 13:10 | By The Master
The Reason "TOWN" Hall wants all secret is so no one asks awkward questions. All councillors not advised or involved have every right to be concerned at the process and methods used here. It is a shocking state of democracy when a small number only are aware it was even happening. If Crosby and TOWN think it is so easy to pick up the phone then why didn t they do so, it is not up to Bill to do this as he is not the one blowing the money away. The media is a good way to make sure the public are aware of what is happening beneath the covers at TOWN Hall
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