“The less the Ratepayers know, the better it is for us” seems to be a common mantra among local councils, not only at KCDC — from the Radio NZ website:-
Last week, Local Democracy Reporting revealed a Rotorua man has complained to the Office of the Ombudsman about Rotorua Lakes Council’s refusal to provide detailed information on the content of its public-excluded workshops.
Now, an information request reveals most New Zealand councils are holding dozens of closed-door workshops a year.
A constitutional law expert says it is a “troubling black hole” in the transparency of local government, while a leader in the sector suggests change may be on the horizon.
Local Democracy Reporter Felix Desmarais asks: how much is the public missing out on in secret council workshops?
‘read the rest’ link not working
Fixed
thanks…
The REFERENDUM allows citizens, through the petition process, to refer acts of the Legislature to the ballot before they become law. … The primary purpose of both is to give voters an opportunity to approve or reject laws either proposed or enacted by the Legislature.
We continue to wait for an honest council.