The ups and downs of life for a councillor on the Waitaki District Council are reflected in the the latest annual residents survey, which could be an indicator to election candidates what the issues are.
In some areas, the council has improved in the eyes of the more than 400 residents who were surveyed, but in others, satisfaction has dropped markedly.
On the plus side was the satisfaction level with the performance of the mayor and councillors, which this year comes in at almost 58%, compared with about 46% last year.
Those who were not happy with the council's performance cited a wide range of reasons, including there being too many councillors; inefficiency; a lack of gender balance (''it's a bit of an old boys' club''); the real power being with the chief executive and staff; and a lack of ideas and economic development.
However, a low rates rise of 3.9% this year, coupled with an improvement in the way issues have been handled, contributed to the greater satisfaction.
In comparison, satisfaction with the Ahuriri and Waihemo Community Boards has fallen, Ahuriri from about 87% to 72% and Waihemo from 66% to 43%.
There was dissatisfaction over consultation (not enough), how money was spent, the power of boards (not enough) and a perceived bias towards some areas.
Another area where satisfaction has slumped is roads, both in terms of safety and standards.
The council this year has moved to correct that by allocating extra money and improving maintenance schedules.
But the survey saw satisfaction drop from about 66% to 34% in terms of roads becoming safer and from 62% to 39% for road standards.
The biggest criticism appears to have come from rural residents, some of whom pay substantial rates, and roads are one of the most visible signs of where their money goes.
