Vision Otago’s five candidates said they were standing as a co-ordinated team "because we know that individual, elected councillors are generally ineffective".
"Consequently, council staff become the default policy-makers for most councils."
The council has had rates rises of 48.5%, 18%, 18.8%, 16.6% and 5.5% in the past five years.
Vision Otago described the new headquarters building in MacLaggan St, Dunedin, as a classic example of bureaucratic imperative trumping regional need and it wanted a public transport funding model that reflected who used the service and where it was available.
It also wanted an overhaul of pest management and regional referendums about key decisions.
Hilary Calvert is standing for the ticket in the Dunedin ward, Carmen Hope in the Molyneux ward and Michael Laws, Gary Kelliher and Nicky Rhodes in the Dunstan ward.
The Green Party has Alan Somerville as its candidate in the Dunedin ward and the Act Party is represented by Robbie Byars in the Molyneux constituency.
— Allied Media
