I got a first look at the five individuals standing for Hastings mayor in face-to-face campaign mode this week. The occasion was a packed-room candidates forum sponsored by Havelock North Rotary and Lions Club.
Simply put, the three incumbent councillors – Damon Harvey, Marcus Buddo and Wendy Schollum – were obliged to explain how they would curb rates escalation as mayor, when they had apparently failed to do so as councillors.
That issue was put most succinctly by the most unlikely candidate, Darrin Wilson, former motorcycling champ, who in his closing statement complemented his competitors for all their great ideas on the matter that night, but asked, why hadn’t they already done these things?!
Mr Wilson came across as refreshingly authentic and truly concerned … and the most entertaining. But let’s be real … he was totally without informed substantive answers to any of the questions put.
The champion door-knocking award went hands-down to Steve Gibson, who claimed to have knocked on 20,000 doors. As someone who has knocked on plenty of doors in my past candidacies and who knows how long that takes, all I can say is that this guy, who has campaigned unsuccessfully for several HB council seats, needs to get a life.
That said, voters do admire – and some reward – the person who happened to knock on their door when they were actually home (as opposed to the candidate who just left a brochure when they weren’t), but is that the basis of a wise choice as to who should be making decisions costing tens of millions, even hundreds, and affecting thousands of lives? Door-knock voting could explain why we get councillors who seem to stuff things up to our disappointment once elected to the council table.
More substantively, Mr Gibson spoke of his tight-fisted budgeting some 12-15 years ago when he served on the Manawatu Council, by comparison to HDC a peanut council (one-fourth the operating budget and one-seventh the capital spend) and light-years away in terms of today’s fiscal realities. He was only one of ten councillors, but to hear his account – “I did it” – he single-handedly saved his community from rampant rates abuse. He’s also running for a councillor seat and perhaps that’s more suited for a gadfly.
The policy wonk award would go to Marcus Buddo, who has prepared detailed position papers on the two issues he deems most important – rates constraint and affordable housing. These papers are thoughtful (they are posted on our Election Central), but he didn’t use his opportunity to explain what was actually in them – he simply noted they were available in the back of the room. I fear he over-estimates voter attention spans. His demeanor was more suited to applying for a job as senior planner.
Mr Buddo chose not to also run for a councillor seat. HDC would have benefitted from his continued service, and he from another term of seasoning.
In a way, street smart Wilson and professorial Buddo were opposite bookends to the performance.
That leaves the two most experienced candidates and councillors – Wendy Schollum and Damon Harvey.
Plenty of evidence that both understand HDC issues and workings. Neither would need training wheels if they won the job. In terms of capacity to oversee a $300 million organisation and proven commitment to their community, both meet the test. Schollum very articulate and ebullient in style; Harvey more low-key and ‘can-do’ in style.
Now, in the remaining weeks of the campaign, both need to sharpen their case for why he or she is the better choice to ride herd on a large costly bureaucracy, while also advancing the economic and social potential of the Hastings District.
In the Hastings mayoral race, this is the real choice.
In any event, BayBuzz remains committed to posting unfiltered on Election Central any campaign material provided by all the candidates for all seats in HB. Candidates Buddo and Gibson have been taking advantage of that offer and hopefully will continue to do so.
To help form your own opinion, attend the next forum for HDC mayoral candidates, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce — Thursday, 28 August, 5pm at Hastings Boys High School.
Does it matter? Will they listen to us? Haven’t yet. Schwing.
Hardly an unbiased view Tom. I guess your favourites are the two 3-term councillors that saw debt soar from $20million to $580million under their watch.
Celebrating dropping the rate increase last year from 25 to 19%.
Thats hardly a legacy I would want. Sure Manawatu is only half the size. But we managed our smaller pool of rates and got a bigger bang from our dollar. That is why we kept rates to inflation and managed debt responsibly.
Apparently I need to “get a life”. I retired at 50 after a successful Policing career of 24years and 10 years owning and running motels. I am not in this race for self gratification or money, but I am at the perfect stage of life to give back and get Hastings back on track
Lets see if door knocking on 20,000 households and speaking to 10,000 was the right thing to do on Oct 11.
Communicating with the community would probably mean Wendy Schollum is the best choice as she is a very good communicator – as a councillor – would the same be applicable as a mayor? I would think so – and that means the ratepayers would know what’s going on which is always a plus.
The “can do” of Damon Harvey is also a very good choice and the area (and the region as a whole) certainly needs such action – as a councillor he seemed to be good value – would the same be applicable as a mayor? I would also think so and we need this now more than ever.
My personal opinion is that either of these could be mayor and so a good job – I think that they would be an excellent team – mayor and deputy – the choice would be between an excellent communicator as the mayor and an effective “doer” as deputy – or vice versa. Either way it would be my opinion that such a team (as long as they worked together without egos getting in the way) would be of great benefit to HDC and the ratepayers
Thanks Grant but we are both running for Mayor only. I’ve spent 25 years being committed to service at both a regional and district level and I now want to give my all to Hastings as mayor.
I also want to comment on Steve Gibson’s comments above – as someone that says he has council experience then I would expect him to look into the details and facts. Firstly debt wasn’t $20m when we started. Also has he lived in Hastings or Napier over the last few years and seen what has happened? Steve has run for the mayor of Napier and also a seat on the regional council – I’d love to know where his passion lies. It’s very simple for me – Hastings first and foremost – and that’s been a 25+ year dedication. There’s been many challenges that hastings has had to overcome – a water crisis, rebuild of Toitoi, COVID, inflation, economic downturn and a cyclone – just to name a few. At the same time – we want to continue to ensure that Hastings is the economic engine room of the region – it’s where jobs and progress happen – the last thing we want is to become a backwate. We need to grow and make Hastings an attractive place to live for its current residents and future residents. Lastly Steve during your time at Manawatu Council – what leadership roles did you have? Also can you confirm that during your time on council, debt rose from $7.38 million in 2008 to $39.92 million by 2013, a 137.6% increase.
Both as a police officer and ex councillor, My passion lay for the downtrodden, the vulnerable and the elderly. So when rates rise faster than inflation and Council continues spending on vanity projects (instead of important infrastructure) with disregard for those who foot the bills, I stand up.
The latest report I received shows debt rose from 60 to 473million over the last decade here. Thats clearly not sustainable.
I left Manawatu in 2012 so had no control on the small rise in debt in 2013 no doubt for capital expenditure, unlike under in Hastings in recent years where its for operational costs ie not just cyclone recovery. In 2013 I was a Police officer in the Northern Territory and additionally I was the Chair of the Independent Audit Comittee in the Palmerston City Council.
Tom Tom Tom
Such a expert yet only a critic. Why are you not running for mayor yourself. Your quick to pick us 5 apart. Must be hard being yourself. Your wife must be very tolerant. Ever heard of kindness and being helpful. Try it it might change your life and people might warm to you