Cr Vandervis told yesterday’s meeting the council holding company would borrow $6 million to help fund dividend payments to the council in the 2012-13 year. The council would also draw another $3 million from the Waipori Fund in the same period, and taking money from other “places it doesn’t exist”.
Cr Kate Wilson denied the council was engaged in “trickery”… describing Cr Vandervis’ comments as “lies”.
### ODT Online Tue, 7 Aug 2012
Ire and apology at heated meeting
By Chris Morris
Allegations and threats flew when a Dunedin City Council meeting erupted yesterday over claims the organisation was relying on millions of dollars in loans to keep rates down. Cr Lee Vandervis began a verbal melee at yesterday’s meeting by claiming borrowing by Dunedin City Holdings Ltd continued to offset council rates. The suggestion was quickly rejected by DCHL chairman Denham Shale, who last night confirmed to the Otago Daily Times the practice had ceased under the company’s new board as of July 1.
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It’s interesting Cr Syd Brown has inside knowledge on (the latest iteration of) DCHL’s financial manipulations, while other councillors appear not to. Since when has Audit New Zealand been the last ‘honest’ word on (iffy) council accounting and book shuffling. We built the stadium didn’t we, and we fund professional rugby as if we ACCEPT this as council core business. You’re excused for thinking Audit New Zealand has hands in pockets; we do know it runs a conveniently narrow brief for audit purposes. But isn’t this FUN FOR SYD.
Cr Syd Brown, chairman of the finance, strategy and development committee, said the community should be reassured the 5% rates increase had been struck for 2012-13. That followed a democratic process accepted by councillors, which had also been “given the all clear” by Audit New Zealand, he said. He also reassured councillors DCHL had committed to paying dividend payments without borrowing to do so.
Do we accept Sydney Brown as Apologist for Dunedin City Council?
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Who is DCHL now? (spot the token woman)
Arthur William BAYLIS (Queenstown)
Appointment Date: 31 Oct 2011
Graham William CROMBIE (Dunedin)
17 Jul 2012
Kathleen Enid GRANT (Mosgiel)
17 Jul 2012
James Denham SHALE (Auckland)
31 Oct 2011
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### ODT Online Tue, 7 Aug 2012
Councillors back four-year term
By Chris Morris
Chants of “four more years” could soon be ringing out inside the Dunedin City Council chambers. That is if Dunedin city councillors get their way after voting yesterday to support a push to extend three-year local body terms to four years. The idea was already being promoted by councils in Christchurch and Wellington in their submissions on the Government’s better local government reforms, which are before a select committee.
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How to lock in sheer incompetence for four years… Is this more or less DEMOCRACY? What would we know, people keep voting back in the likes of Brown, Hudson, Collins and Stevenson.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 