Subj : Greytown resident claims councillors are blocking his emails
To   : All
From : News Person
Date : Thu Oct 26 2023 11:33 am

A ratepayer launched a blistering attack on South Wairarapa District Council
during a meeting, including claiming councillors had blocked his emails.


Greytown resident Derek Anderton raised questions about the council's finance
management and administration at the beginning of Wednesday's finance
committee meeting today.


Anderton noted the meeting time had changed from 10am to 9.30am only the day
before the meeting, meaning he had risked missing his allocated slot.


"I want to note my frustration at the late change in time for the meeting,"
he told the committee. That is unacceptable for democracy and transparency,"
he said.


Anderton then claimed his emails to some councillors had been blocked.


"I think that is absolutely out of order. I have no difficulty with the CE
[chief executive] blocking [my] emails to staff, but not to councillors.


"They are elected by ratepayers and are accountable to ratepayers."


He then raised a number of complaints about SWDC's administration.


"SWDC officers are not able to provide reports to the required standard and
do not have the required understanding of finances," he claimed.


As an example, he cited a comment that annual leave balances had not been
identified as a significant risk [but was getting there], although he said
Audit NZ had raised the issue in the 2017/18 financial year.


He said he had been provided minutes for the annual plan, in relation to an
official information request about the last annual report.


"I asked a question on the last annual report. Because it had Harry's
[Wilson, the former CE] signature on it, on the statement of compliance,
dated something June. A month after had resigned.


"How have you guys approved that statement of compliance with his signature
sitting there is beyond me."


Anderton said it was often the case that the way local bodies were elected
meant they lacked some relevant skills in relation to finance.


"You end up in a situation where you have people round the table that don't
have all the expertise needed."


He said he was surprised the statement of compliance had been approved.


"There are errors almost on every page," he claimed.


"This report has a $1.5 million dollar surplus for ratepayers. You could have
used that to reduce rates in the current rating year by 7.5%."


In a discussion after Anderton's presentation, Mayor Martin Connelly asked
the chief executive to prepare a report on one of the matters raised.


"One of the comments that Mr Anderton made was that after the council had
approved the annual report, alterations were made to it without reference
[to] or the approval of council. I would like a report from the CE on that
matter, please," he said.


"Do you know to what extent the report was altered," Connelly was asked.


"That's why I'd like a report," he replied.


The Department of Internal Affairs [DIA] and Local Government NZ [LGNZ] have
been called in to help address issues at the council.


South Wairarapa District councillors recently made a unanimous vote of no
confidence in their mayor Martin Connelly. South Wairarapa District Council
has been approached for comment on whether any councillors had blocked
Anderton's emails.


By Sue Teodoro for Local Democracy Reporting


Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On
Air

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