Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

A large part of being an elected councillor of a regional, district or city council is decision-making. At most meetings, councillors are expected to give direction and/or make decisions on a range of issues.

Some decisions are far-reaching, some are costly and some are controversial. At certain times of the year, the decision-making intensifies – particularly when making decisions on what should be included in draft annual plans and budgets, or what to change following submissions on a plan by the community.

The general process is council provides some general guidance on what they want the plan to deliver. Staff conduct the detailed work and then council considers what is put together by staff and makes decisions on what they want to change.

This is then incorporated into the plan, signed off by council, and is put out for submissions.

The nature of our wider community is it's made up of individuals and groups with a range of views. And while sometimes you get a clear steer on what the community view is – sometimes there are diametrically opposed views. There are also the squeaky wheels, the radical fringe and the unheard majority.

The challenge of being a councillor is processing all of the submissions, listening to all submitters' views, asking the right questions so you have sufficient information – and then weighing up issues and implications and making the hard calls, keeping in mind the bigger picture. This is in the knowledge you can't possibly please everybody and you may become very unpopular with some people.

It is very rare all councillors agree on a particular course of action. But I'm certain all want what they think is best for the community. So in making the hard calls, there is often spirited debate before an agreement is made on a particular course of action, or change to budgets or projects. This is what we, as elected officials of course, buy into – but spare a thought for the challenges faced by those who have to make the hard calls for your future.

If you have any views on this, or any other issue, please email me on neesj@xtra.co.nz or ring me on 07 579 5150. Or you can check out my website, at www.janenees.co.nz