East Taieri businessman Andrew Simms offered forthright views about Dunedin City Council legal bills, discipline with public money, trains and seesaw design costs.
Cr Lee Vandervis had his own go about George St seesaws.
Cr Bill Acklin said Mr Simms did not know what he was talking about and Cr Andrew Whiley said the businessman’s characterisation of councillors seeming to be ambivalent about spending of public money was unfair.
Mr Simms had identified what he described as lack of prudence and oversight about use of public money and he suggested councillors offered "a resigned shrug of the shoulders" about this.
It was no good accepting "that’s just the way it is", Mr Simms said.
"This is a very real problem for a stressed community facing massive year-on-year rates rises."
Cr Whiley said all councillors were aware and concerned about appropriateness of spending.
"There is nobody at that table just ‘shrugging their shoulders’," he said.
"I’m sure Mr Simms has read the latest council annual report and is aware of where money has been spent and will be engaging in the long-term plan process."
Cr Sophie Barker said the comment about shrugging of the shoulders was offensive.
"If people watch council meetings, they can see for themselves how councillors ask questions around council spending," she said.
Each councillor had received detailed operational budgets, "which I’ve spent hours and hours going through — literally line by line".
"It’s easy to sit outside the glasshouse and throw stones when you’re not on council," Cr Barker said.
"However, I do agree that councillors need more transparency, especially over project management and designs of public projects."
Mr Simms highlighted the $60,000 design cost for one of the seesaws in George St and compared this unfavourably with how private money might
be spent.
Cr Vandervis put up his own social media post about the $600,000 George St playground and commented the council was "see-sawing through our money".
Mr Simms noted an investigation and legal advice relating to chief executive Sandy Graham’s conduct had a combined cost of more than $250,000.
In an article last month about Ms Graham’s use of language, including putdowns and swearing, Cr Acklin had suggested she was far from alone.
"What’s the big deal?"
Mr Simms highlighted the phrase "no big deal" several times in making the point the investigation was no trivial matter.
He also drew attention to losses by Dunedin Railways.
