Open Books
Council has budgeted to spend almost 1 Billion this financial year.
The staff salary and wages component of that budget is $145 Million.
To successfully carry out it’s business, including meeting legislative requirements council relies heavily on private sector providers in the form of goods, services and people (temporary labour, external experts and specialist advisors.)
Quoted from the “Chief Executives overview of direction seeking for 2008 / 2009 annual plan” 21/2/08
But, where exactly is our public money going?
Which companies have these contracts?
What is the value of each of these contracts?
For how long is the term of each of these contracts?
Who decided which company would get these contracts?
When were the decisions made as to which companies would get these contracts?
These questions have been asked of David Rankin CEO of Auckland City council
under the Official Information Act four different times.
Mr Rankin Stated in 8/10/07 “the reason for denying rate payers this information was
“If we release the names of the companies who have contracts with us, together with the amount spent, these supplier could be disadvantaged. Their other potential customers may deduce the rates Auckland city council are being charged and demand the same pricing. Equally, there competitors may deduce their pricing structure and use it against them.”
Penny Bright a rate payer took a stand as the council would not tell where public money was being spent. Penny is disputing and refusing to pay her Auckland City rates until the information is made publically available.
Because Penny is mortgage free and the council can not tag her rates, she is being taken to court for non payment. Under discover Penny is asking for the details of over $780 Million to private contractors to be made available in the public domain.
As there are no audit process to check for relationships between Auckland City Council employee and contractors
any number of possible insider trading type arrangements may be being made.
Mayor John Banks promised that he would under take “a line by line accounting investigation into council spending” during the last Mayoral campaign in 2007.
What you need to know
Elected councillors simply set the rates you will be charged each period.
But the spending of your rates is in the hands of a group of unelected, beaurats and
Unelected council officers
John Duthie Jill McPherson Andrew McKenzie Trish Langridge David Rankin
Beaurats contract contractors to contract contractors to do the work.
Why won’t Mayor John Banks instruct the CEO David Rankin to provide this information?
Is it because it will reveal possible conflicts of interest between past and current councillors, council employees, consultants and works contractors?
Start asking your elected member where are our rates are being spent. Get details and email council-watch your findings.
