An attempt to add quarter of a million dollars to the budget has been labelled a “slap in the face” by an Environment Canterbury councillor.
Ian Mackenzie was frustrated that almost half of his regional council colleagues “tried to blow out the budget without any previous discussion and against the advice of the staff”.
ECan was deliberating on its annual plan, and a proposed 10% average rate increase, on Wednesday when councillor Grant Edge tried twice to move a motion for an additional $0.25m to be added to the Waitaha Action to Impact Fund.
Both attempts failed in eight-to-seven votes, with Ngāi Tahu councillor Iaean Cranwell abstaining.
Had the motion passed, it would have signalled a vote of no-confidence in chief executive Stefanie Rixecker, Mackenzie said.
“[Rixecker] and her staff were committed to the fiscal responsibility of trying to restrain the rate rise.
“If the councillors then voted by majority that they didn’t agree with that, and wanted to keep on spending money anyway, regardless of the quantum of money, that would have been a significant slap in the face of the chief executive and all her staff.”
Rixecker is having to “balance things on a knife’s edge to deliver without having a blowout or a collapse of ECan’s ability to deliver programmes”, Mackenzie said.
His disappointment wasn’t about the amount of money or where it was being directed, but how it was attempted.
“The issue is the message we are sending to staff in terms of attitude.”
Edge pushed back against Mackenzie’s claims, saying the move was simply part of the deliberation process.
Staff had reprioritised $4m of work to keep the annual plan rates rise at 10%, and Edge felt those cuts were open for debate.
His amendment was an attempt to respond to community demands for increased biodiversity funding he said.
“The chief executive and staff have to put something to us, and its councillors that make the final decision.
“It’s part of the democratic process of an elected representative and it’s not undermining anybody.”
ECan’s annual plan is likely to be adopted in June with an average rate increase of 10% for 2023/24.
Mid Canterbury ratepayers are sheltered from the public transport increases as the services are not available in the district, so the rate increase will be around 8%.

• By Jonathan Leask