MAYOR’S DECISION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27042, 29 March 1949, Page 4

MAYOR’S DECISION

RATEPAYERS’ INVITATION ACCEPTED SOME COUNCILLORS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC On the Mayor’s casting vote, the City Council last night accepted an invitation from the North-East Valley Ratepayers’ Association for councillors to attend a public meeting to be held at North-East Valley so that the association could outline to the council the “ urgent needs ” of the district. The council declined a request from the association that its technical advisers should also attend the meeting. Cr Wright considered that if the North-East Valley ratepayers had a grievance they should form a deputation to place it before the council. It was unfair, he added, to expect that the council’s technical advisers should attend the meeting and be “put through the grill.” “As councillors, we should give all the help we can,” said Cr Smith. He added that he was sympathetic with the North-East Valley people, largely because of a tour of the district he had made with other councillors. “Apparently some of us think that we would go to the meeting as a lot of Aunt Sallies to be knocked down,” Cr Smith said. He was sure that the ratepayers did not realise what had been done by the council. Moving that the council accept the invitation, he said a wrong interpretation would be placed on councillors’ non-attend-ance. Cr Jolly agreed with Cr Wright’s views. “I do not feel,” he said. “ that we should attend a meeting at their convenience so that we can be ‘ given the once over.’ The right attitude to take is to refuse the request. At the same time, the council should state that it is always willing to receive deputations.” Cr Smith’s motion that the invitation be accepted was carried by 6 votes to 5-