Council car buying unbelievable

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 239, 12 April 1988, Page 4

Council car buying unbelievable

A friend has told me that the new District Council is planning to buy a car to transport the Raetihi office workers to and from Ohakune. I can't believe my ears! The Mayor and most of the councillors said during the election that they would try hard to keep costs and rates down. To buy a car for thousands of dollars does not fit in with what they said. Apparently there is a vague statement somewhere in the' amalgamation agree-, ment about the Raetihi workers not being out of pocket by having to go to Ohakune. Most of the present

staff have been employed since the amalgamation was agreed on and they would' have known at the time that one day they would probably have to work in Ohakune. I have been told that they don't all intend to travel over and back together every day anyway - why buy a car just for this group when the council cannot afford it? Surely if they must be reimbursed they can be paid a small travelling allowance - then the council is not committed to an outlay

of thousands of dollars. The District Council owns two cars - why couldn't one of they Ohakune staff (perhaps one of the three highly paid top administration staff) spend 40 minutes a day picking up and; dropping off these staff members - and saving thousands of dollars of ratepayers money? A lot of people will be wishing they had voted fOr different people if the council goes ahead with this stupid and irresponsible decision.

Margaret

Mathews