Kāpiti businesswoman Jackie Elliott says she will be a candidate for a district-wide seat in the Council elections in October.
“I have had huge public support and encouragement to stand and after some serious deliberation I am putting my name forward. If Council was running smoothly then I would say let them get on with it, but it is clear to everyone that this is not the case.”
Ms Elliott says she has also had considerable public support for a bid at the Kāpiti mayoralty.
“At this stage that is still a live option. I will give it full consideration over the next few weeks and will then make an announcement as to whether or not I will allow my name to go forward for the Mayoralty as well.”
Ms Elliott was elected by a comfortable margin to the Ōtaki Community Board in a by-election last year.
“The Community Board experience has been interesting and has also highlighted some of the deficiencies of KCDC’s processes that have seen our communities seriously divided over so many issues.
Ms Elliott, who lead the petition to have a referendum on water meters, says that was a classic example of how Council was out of touch with the community.
“We gained over 8000 signatures in nine weeks yet Council ignored the voices of all those people . It is a disgrace for a Council to be so dismissive of the people it was elected to serve.”
Ms Elliott says there are many pressing issues facing Kāpiti. “The Council’s debt is projected to reach $196 million which is staggering for a district of our size. The handling of the Coastal Erosion issue has been a debacle and a long term solution to water supply is still not being addressed in a meaningful way. The solution of building a dam which has always been obvious to the people of Kāpiti has eluded a Council set on water meters, invasive river recharge and bores.”
“The other big issue confronting Kāpiti is amalgamation and the implications for Kāpiti. It is vital that local democracy is preserved while we benefit from the gains of greater efficiencies in local government,” says Ms Elliott.
“I believe it is a time for fresh voices and fresh perspectives because it is very clear that what we have now doesn’t work”.
