Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

Many people in Katikati were upset when the Mayor of Western Bay, Mr Paterson, pulled out of next Monday's public meeting where he and Mark Boyle of TePuke were to appear and answer questions on their candidacy.

The organisers had spent a week gathering appropriate questions for the meeting but were not informed of the cancelation by Katchkatikati until a day later. We have not had a contest for the mayoralty for a while and it is important especially for all aspiring councillors that they understand the political environment that the different Mayoral candidates might be planning. I have seen a draft of the questions and, meeting or not, it is important that the Mr Paterson and Mr Boyle address and provide answers for these questions over the next few weeks.

The questions have been well researched and take account of the strange position that all of the candidates are facing. The Council has no money. Planning is six years out of date and Smart Growth will not be able to update it until the census results are analysed next year. Smart Growth has also indicated there will be no interim plan upgrades as that would only complicate their planning. To cap it all, the Government has indicated a major reform and within a couple of years the Western Bay of Plenty as we know it may not exist. No candidate will be able to offer anything in terms of new initiatives in planning, reduction in rates or any vow to change Councils current practice. Most of the questions for the mayoral candidates ask how they might lead the Council into the new styles of governance and the new local government structures that are imminent.

There were about ten questions. Five queried governance practices including a mayor's role in leadership, shared governance with local communities, relationships with the CEO and current constraints on councillors wanting to communicate with and promote their electorate's interests but there is one major change in local government indicated. The Government's instructions over the last two years have pointed to a more decentralised council governance through community boards or equivalent. A large unitary authority like the Auckland model is possible but it couldn't be just an oversize version of the current model. Mr Paterson has been reported sharing ideas with other authorities including suggestions of following the Thames Coromandel model. Tauranga and Western Bay amalgamation is one suggestion. Another new model proposed this week of a One Bay of Plenty together with a One Waikato driving a large version of BOPLASS needs explaining. It is now time for our mayoral candidates to present their big view and ambitions for our future. They are lucky this time. With all of the upheaval , promise of new brooms or rate reductions would be inappropriate but we do need clear explanations of candidate's vision and evidence of leadership.