Councils and ratepayers - beware what you must pay for...

I've seen this sculpture close to the Kaipara. Here it is at Sculpture on the Shore. I liked it a lot. I wonder whether Rodney Hide supports public money for exhibitions like this?

Close reading of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill 2009 - which is now out for "consultation" and for which submissions are due 26th June - reveals a little known fact about who will be paying for what...

Section 13 of said Act describes the functions and duties of the Transition Agency, now headed by Mark Ford. (1)(f) of this section states that a function of the Transition Agency is: "to second employees from any existing local government organisation to the Transition Agency."

That probably makes sense. Provides for some degree of continuity. Would probably need to be done after some consultation with CEO of relevant council or CCO or whatever. Quite a lot of power though. The Agency can basically take staff from Councils.

But here's the rub. (4) of that section states that: "an employee of an existing local government organisation who is seconded to the Transition Agency under subsection (1)(f) continues to be employed and remunerated by the existing local government organisation...."

So. Councils have raised rates from ratepayers on the basis of widely consulted Annual Plans and Long Term Community Council Plans. Those councils have employed staff to deliver services according to those plans.

And now along comes this state fabricated agency which can cherry-pick those very same council staff at will, get them to deliver its own agenda (which hasn't been approved by any public process at all), and expect them to be paid by ratepayer dollars collected by Councils for approved programmes and services.

Frankly - that stinks.