Car buying horror

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 240, 19 April 1988, Page 4

Car buying horror

I too am horrified at the decision of Council to spend a large proportion of ratepayers' money to purchase a car for the use of only four staff members. Were a private sector business to move location from one town to another there would be no compensation for staff. The choice offered to them would no doubt be straightforward, either stay with the firm and absorb extra travelling costs themselves or find another job.

I understand that under the terms of the three council amalgamation staff were guaranteed not to be worse off by this decision. However, this raises other questions - 1. Are councillors not living in the Ohakune ward to be paid a travelling allowance for their attendance at meetings? 2. If in the future the Waimarino is to become part of a larger council area are ratepayers expected to pay for another vehicle to enable staff members to travel larger distances? Of course the decision has already been made and is unlikely to be changed. But I would like to know'why, if a car really is necessary, it has to be of the 2000cc variety. Won't this be an additional waste of ratepayers' money? I personally manage to travel from Raetihi to Ohakune every day in a car adequately able to seat four adults and mine is only llOOcc. I suggest Council give more thought to how rfhe decisions they make will affect the ratepayers. Private sector employee