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

Each year, council conducts a telephone survey to gauge how well we provide services to our community. I'm pleased that council enjoys its highest reputation from the residents of the Mount Maunganui and Papamoa ward once again. However, other results give me pause to think seriously about a couple of major projects.

Three months ago, council approved (by a narrow vote) funding of $35m toward a new $39m central library to replace the existing one built in 1989. The project is scheduled to begin this year and while it'll provide a great new building, the libraries budget will need to increase from the current $7.3m a year to $13.8m in three years' time.

The 2018 residents' survey has found again that 89 per cent of people are either very satisfied or satisfied with the quality and condition of our libraries; only two per cent are dissatisfied. With the current central library enjoying the highest visitation of the four libraries, the question must be asked ‘do we need to spend $35m on a brand new one?'

I'd suggest that if we asked you how satisfied you are with traffic congestion we'd get a heck of a lot more than two per cent dissatisfied!

A sum of $35m would unlock another $35m from NZTA and that would be enough to put four lanes on 15th Avenue and Turret Road with a new bridge. I love libraries, but with limited money it's a question of priorities. It was a narrow vote in the council chamber, which means the power is yours to change council's priorities at next year's election.