Cheques and balances

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 608, 17 October 1995, Page 4

Cheques and balances

• RCL Ltd boasts a profit and has given council a cheque for $150,000. The directors have taken an extra $5800 to boost their fee to $8800. After all the backpatting the ratepayer is left to ask how this can all happen. Well, if RCL Ltd does not meet its performance contract and gets away without maintaining our roads to the standard required, of course a profit can be made. There has to be accountabiliiy, so no payment is forthcoming until proof of performance. Our chief executive must be held responsible as the report to council is ultimately from the administration office. Now the extra $5800 taken by the directors is greed and not in the interest of the ratepayer. Surely the mayor and chief executive should hand their director's fee back to council as we, as the ratepayers, have already paid them. Now I am amazed at our councillors authorising the approval of all this. If councillors haven't got the guts to correct these problems and demand, as proxy holders of our shares, responsibility of administration and RCL Ltd we are in deep trouble. Each new councillor must be targeted to advise them who they represent. If these fail we must ask for a referendum to allow our view point to be used as a guideline for council to follow. We have seen the cheques, now it is time to see the balances.

Gary Rawnsley,

Upper Ruatiti.