Bryan Cadogan
Mayoral elections in Otago's "heartland" this year
have attracted 14 candidates. The Otago Daily Times
today continues its series profiling the candidates, with
Balclutha reporter Rachel Taylor putting the questions to Bryan
Cadogan.
He stood for mayor against Juno Hayes three years ago, and
lost by only 958 votes.
Now, Bryan Cadogan thinks the Clutha district is feeling the
economic pinch and is ready for the ideological change he can
provide.
Sustainable growth for the district by tying rates to the
rate of inflation and focusing on core services is something
he believes will stop the population decline and provide
amenities that will attract people to the district.
A member of the Clutha Rugby Club and a Clyde St retailer, Mr
Cadogan has clear views on the Clutha Recreation Centre and
the main street upgrade and traffic flow issues.
His first term as mayor would be about "getting real", by
providing the core services at an affordable price, with
enough left over so the district could move forward, he said.
"I can't say on the one hand that I'm going to hold rates to
a realistic level, and then offer the world."
Why are you standing for mayor?
It's time for change.
What do you think needs to change?
My whole stance and my whole focus is that I want an
ideological change. Everyone that I'm talking to is finding
things really hard going at the moment. I believe that
morally, the council has to have it that the rates are tied
to the rate of inflation.
The last three years, the rates in Balclutha have gone up
over 20%. If this is allowed to continue, the pressure on the
family unit ... they've got nothing left for themselves.
I know the flip side of that is people are going to say
you're going to jam the handbrake on. No, I'm not. I've got
an ideology of thrift.
What do you mean by thrift?
Well, I'm self-made. I did it by working hard and saving.
That's just the way I was brought up.
I agree that the district has got to move forward, but it's
got to move forward at a pace that people can keep up with.
There is no use out-stripping them.
Where is that going?
Its not sustainable. From a leadership perspective, I want an
ideology that council has got to start tying the rates in
with the rate of inflation.
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