If the audience was expecting a battle, they instead were served a relatively tame conversation about issues facing the community and their various solutions.
The event, hosted by the Southland Business Chamber and Jeff Grant, had Mayor Ben Bell going against his challenger Nicky Davis — who served on the Gore District Council until 2022 — on a variety of topics.
About 50 people were present for the debate. Mr Bell started his opening address saying his initial goal of a council returning to basics was achieved, thanking the community for its support, and setting a new goal.
He would seek to bring further business to Gore, stating the district was "ripe for an economic boom", and celebrated its farming success.
Mrs Davis painted a different picture of a council with massive expenditures in a time when people were struggling, stating no business could survive running the way the council was.
Council debt funding had masked the real issues in the council’s finances, and she would be looking to investigate if elected, including a purported rise in personnel costs.
The two candidates discussed Three Waters and Water Done Well, discussing the economy of scale, the potential for amalgamation and how it would look in the future.
Mrs Davis said she agreed with criticisms directed at councils from central government over affordability, suggesting if elected she would potentially impose a moratorium on new spending to try to reduce costs in the district.
Although Mr Bell said some criticism was warranted, he did throw a barb at the fiscal responsibility of the council Mrs Davis served on, suggesting the council credit card was maxed out during that term.
On rebuilding trust with the community, Mr Bell said it was driven through communication and being open, while Mrs Davis believed strong leadership and accountability drove trust.
The debate finished with audience questions. Both candidates fielded questions about data centres, amalgamation with other councils, potential savings and how potential asset sales would look for the Gore District Council.
