Cr Vandervis took to social media on Wednesday night to highlight council debt, including that of its companies, which is now forecast to hit almost $1billion by 2022.
The debt picture, which was documented in council reports, had been raised by Cr Vandervis at Tuesday's council meeting and reported by the ODT on Wednesday.
On Wednesday night, Cr Vandervis said in a social media post debt would be a legacy of the "Cull Council".
Cr Vandervis - who is yet to confirm if he will seek the mayoralty again this year - went on to outline a series of his own initiatives, ranging from selling Aurora to reduce debt to cutting council staff numbers and freeing up land for housing.
But he raised eyebrows for some when he went further, criticising plans for a "$60million George St cycleway" and rising council staff numbers, which he claimed had "doubled" under Mayor Dave Cull.
Council information showed staff numbers had dropped from 680 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles, or 1043 employees, since Mr Cull took office in 2010, to a low of 644 FTEs (977 staff) in 2013-14.
Since then it had climbed again most years, reaching 748 FTEs (1019 staff) this year - an increase of about 10% on 2010 figures.
Council transport group manager Richard Saunders, contacted yesterday, also rejected Cr Vandervis' description of the George St project as a "cycleway".
The council had allocated $60 million to its central city plan over the next 10 years, but that included above-ground street improvements at three locations - along parts of George St, Princes St and lower Stuart St.
The George St component represented $28 million of the total cost, but covered "many components", including safety and public amenity improvements.
The single southbound vehicle lane envisaged for George St would include space for an on-street cycle/scooter lane, but it was not a separated cycleway and would come at little extra cost, Mr Saunders said.
"It is not a cycleway project," he said.
But, challenged by a member of the public online about his information, Cr Vandervis responded by telling them to "stop being a prat".
"Every point on the graph is source indexed. Get your lazy finger in to the DCC website and find all the other details you want," Cr Vandervis wrote.
The councillor did not respond to a request for comment yesterday, but council planning and environment committee chairman Cr David Benson-Pope said his comments were "unnecessary" and wrong.
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Comments
Not Mayor. Days of fury are outdated.
Typical bias odt.... Pick out the least flattering picture of Lee to put up.
Charlatans
So, is the data correct, or is this another hit piece ?
The article does not raise questions about the debt figures he presented, but does raise questions about his claims staff numbers have doubled and that the central city work amounts to a "George St cycleway".
High debt will become toxic when interest rates rise again. Who do you think will suffer when Dunedin can't pay its debts? Cull? No. Your kids and grandkids. High debt is loading up the future generations, who are too young to know better, or aren't even born yet, with crippling obligations. The unborn will write the history books too, and our names will be mud.
Do not think interest rates will never go up. GFC was held at bay by socialising debt. Wild bankers were bailed out by the public in the form of low-interest loans by the government. Every western country in the world is essentially bankrupt. Dunedin included.
There's a picture by Goya, of Saturn devouring his Son, that springs to mind every time someone tries to sweep the burgeoning debt under the carpet. Worth a search up.
PB. Tendentious. Disappointing. The 'kids' will change things. Nothing is determined.
"Council information showed staff numbers had dropped from 680 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles, or 1043 employees, since Mr Cull took office in 2010, to a low of 644 FTEs (977 staff) in 2013-14.
Since then it had climbed again most years, reaching 748 FTEs (1019 staff) this year - an increase of about 10% on 2010 figures".
So it has increased.
"Council transport group manager Richard Saunders, contacted yesterday, also rejected Cr Vandervis' description of the George St project as a "cycleway".
It is, it is a glorified cycleway.
Big difference between an actual increase of 10% over nine years and a doubling of staff numbers (100% increase) as Vandervis claimed.
Vandervis doesn't like being called out on his grandstanding flights of fancy.
One of the few councilors with any sense. If Cull and his green posse were running a business it would be long gone by now. Why do these people act like they care about us while putting us into more and more debt. It's not their money they throw around like Monopoly it's ours. People need to vote for a mayor who changes this attitude. Sadly most people in NZ are sheeple who will vote for a younger Cull clone because they fall for talk about feelings and saving the planet that's going to end in 10 years.