Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

In just 12 months' time you'll have the opportunity to review the performance of the Mayor and councillors on your voting papers. Three years is an eternity for unsuccessful candidates wanting to have another chance to make decisions around the council table, but it goes much quicker for those already there!

Nearly two thirds of residents don't see the need to vote. Some are happy with the status quo, some don't think it'll make a difference anyway, and some don't think the operations of council affects their lives because they rent.

The reality is that council's decisions don't just impact you now, they continue to affect generations to come. Some poorly planned subdivisions prior to the 1990s affect traffic, property prices and even criminal statistics today.

With more than 1200 new homes created every year it's vital we have elected representatives around the table who can successfully manage a growing city. We spent nearly $70m on transport last year but with traffic growing at 3.9 per cent we're all beginning to feel the impact.

I believe transport needs even greater investment in the coming years and this view is in stark contrast to others who look with envy at the ‘nice-to-haves' other, more established cities have had for years. That's been Tauranga's great debate over the past 20 years.

Next year you'll also get the opportunity to choose Tauranga's regional councillors. They're custodians of $1.5 billion worth of shares in our port. Should they use this wealth to invest more in roads full of port traffic? It's your decision – vote!