At least, this was the image in the head of Cr John Chambers, as councillors discussed yesterday whether there should be a cut in the grants contestable fund.
‘‘I thought for a moment I’d nodded off and woken up in the 19th century with Cr Scrooge giving a speech,’’ he said.
Cr Russell Lund objected to the reference to Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
He called a point of order, labelling the comment disrespectful and adding advice to ‘‘settle down’’ for good measure.
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker did not uphold the point of order, as no councillor had been specifically identified as inspiring the remark.
Councillors were continuing their deliberations yesterday on the council’s 2026-27 draft annual plan.
The grants pool is worth almost $3.4 million and Cr Lund wanted to cut $200,000 from the amount available.
His motion lost in a tight vote, 8-7.
Cr Chambers said any potential government-imposed introduction of a cap on rates increases was not due to kick in until 2029.
‘‘Now is not the time for crazy cuts to the budget,’’ he said.
Cr Marie Laufiso said grants had not been inflation-adjusted.
‘‘The attitude around this table is so punitive,’’ she said.
Cr Steve Walker said efforts to produce such decision-making ‘‘on the hoof’’ inevitably did not produce good results.
‘‘Let’s just grow up a bit here,’’ he said.
However, he pointed out the council’s decision about community housing — a freeze in rents that meant rates had to increase to compensate — had been in much the same camp.
Cr Lund said proposing changes to the council’s draft plan was precisely what councillors were supposed to be doing.
‘‘I didn’t come to this council to be a rubber stamp.’’
