Four candidates want to be the next mayor of Lower Hutt. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Rates affordability, council spending, infrastructure and amalgamation were the top topics for Lower Hutt mayoral candidates on Monday night.
The city would get a new leader after the upcoming local body elections, with current mayor Campbell Barry not running again.
In a debate run by Hutt City Council, the four candidates that wanted to be the next mayor took to the stage in front of a crowd of around 100 voters.
The candidates were Karen Morgan, Brady Dyer, Prabha Ravi and Ken Laban.
All four were united on the need for some review of council spending if they became mayor.
Dyer promised to do a line-by-line review if he was voted into the role.
"True leadership means making some tough calls."
Rates affordability, council spending, infrastructure and amalgamation were the top topics for Lower Hutt mayoral candidates last night. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Ravi and Laban made similar promises, with their plans instead for a spending review to be done independently from the council.
Karen Morgan also wanted a review, but not until the entity replacing Wellington Water started, because it was set to take water off the council's books.
"I do actually think there is time for a review because we are going to be changing to a new water entity, so the time is now for a really good review, that is transparent."
All candidates agreed on the idea of amalgamation of Hutt City Council in some form.
To save money, Ken Laban suggested Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council coming together would be something he would look at if he got the job.
"If we have one mayor then that's not two mayoral salaries, that's one, if we have one chief executive, well, as we know, most CEOs are on $300,000-500,000 a year."
Ravi said that the council needed new ideas and that she would focus the council on financial management.
"You are frustrated because your rates are skyrocketing, while the core services you rely on are not up to standard."
Election day across all the country's councils will be held on 11 October.
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