When I stepped into the Mayor’s office, we were in financial trouble, plain and simple. Council was borrowing to cover its basic operating costs, and years of underinvestment had left us with crumbling infrastructure and a growing bill.

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We’ve since changed that course. We’ve stopped using debt to keep the lights on, we’ve clawed back millions in operating savings, and we’ve created a clear path forward to reduce our deficit to just $2 million by the end of this year. But the job isn’t finished.

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The next step is staying the course, holding to the Long Term Plan and making sure we don’t slip back into old habits. That means sticking to balanced budgets, prioritising where our money goes, and continuing to make cost-saving changes without cutting vital services.

Long-term financial responsibility is about more than numbers. It’s about trust. If we manage our finances well now, we give ourselves, and future generations, the freedom to build, improve, and grow.

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“I’ll keep doing the hard mahi today so our kids aren’t paying for our mistakes tomorrow.”

Let’s be real, the 2023 rates increase was tough. No one wants to see their bills go up, and I didn’t take that decision lightly. But at the time, we were facing a financial cliff. It was either act then or pass a mess on to the next generation.

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That increase allowed us to stabilise our finances, stop borrowing for basic expenses, and start investing in long-overdue upgrades. Now, thanks to the Long Term Plan, we’ve got a new direction: small, steady increases aligned with inflation, not massive jumps.

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That’s what I’m committed to. No surprises. No gimmicks. Just clear, responsible financial planning that keeps rates manageable, and services running.

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“People don’t mind paying their fair share; they just want to know it’s being used wisely. That’s what I’ll keep delivering.”

Over the past three years, we’ve made real progress, not the kind you see in headlines for a week, but the kind that lays a foundation for years to come. From pulling the Council out of financial instability to finally breaking ground on projects that had been stalled for years, we’ve started shifting gears in South Waikato.

But progress is a journey, not a finish line. We’ve only just begun.

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In my next term, I’m committed to keeping that momentum going. That means making decisions that don’t just serve today, but serve our kids and grandkids. We’ve already locked in upgrades to the Tokoroa Pools, taken the first steps on the Maraetai Road Industrial Park, a project set to bring jobs and investment, and addressed long-standing issues that others put in the “too hard basket.”

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Progress isn’t always smooth. It’s often messy, sometimes uncomfortable, and nearly always met with pushback. But it’s necessary. Because without it, we stand still, and standing still in today’s world means falling behind.

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“If we keep doing the same things the same way, we’ll keep getting the same results. I’m here to keep pushing us forward, with purpose, with vision, and with the people front and centre.”

Community isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we live. And in a place like South Waikato, where we bump into each other at the supermarket, where our kids play in the same teams and we wave at familiar faces in traffic, community wellbeing is everything.

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Over the last term, I’ve focused on listening, properly listening, to what people need. From better access to facilities to making sure our town centres feel safe and cared for, I’ve heard what matters, and I’ve fought to prioritise it.

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In my next term, I’ll continue to back decisions that improve everyday life. That means championing better public spaces, support for youth and whānau, making things easier for our older residents, and ensuring no one feels left behind. Whether it’s through infrastructure, events, or simply being available to chat over a cuppa, I’ll always be working to make sure people feel connected, respected and supported.

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“Strong communities aren’t built by accident. They’re built by showing up, listening hard, and making sure every person feels like they belong. That’s the kind of leadership I believe in.”

Our infrastructure has suffered from years of underfunding and short-term thinking. We’ve seen the result, pipes bursting, roads falling apart, and projects constantly pushed down the line.

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In my next term, I want to finish the turnaround we’ve started. We’ve already begun properly funding depreciation and planning for infrastructure renewals in the Long Term Plan. Now we need to stay on that path, and ensure future growth isn’t held back by yesterday’s neglect.

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This is about being proactive, not reactive. We shouldn’t be fixing things after they’ve failed, we should be maintaining and upgrading them before they do.

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“We’re not just building for now. We’re building for the future, for our kids and our communities to come.”

One of the hardest balancing acts in local government is keeping costs down while still delivering everything our communities rely on, and I’m proud to say we’ve made real strides here.

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In the past term, Council achieved over $1 million in savings through smarter operations, not by slashing services or making life harder for residents, but by trimming the fat where it counted. We’re doing things more efficiently and targeting wasteful spending, and I’ll keep pushing for that same approach.

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In 2025, more operational savings are on the way, but none of it will come at the expense of the services people use every day. The goal is simple: do more with what we’ve got, and protect what matters most.

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“Efficiency shouldn’t mean cuts, it should mean doing smarter. And that’s what I’ll keep pushing for.”