During a council meeting discussing the long-term plan earlier this month, Cr Andrew Fraser was faced with heckles from members of the gallery as he spoke about the misconceptions over council workload and benefits.
Speaking to The Ensign after the meeting, Cr Fraser said a lot of the loudest critics came from a place of ignorance, with which he had familiarity.
"People just don’t have an understanding of how council works. I was guilty of that, too, before I joined council," he said.
The Gore Rates Reform group, an unofficial advocacy organisation, was specifically named as having problematic elements and being disruptive in the community.
Cr Fraser said the group held several meetings in which the rise in rates was explained, but some remained defiant despite evidence.
"[Gore District Mayor] Ben Bell and [chief executive] Debbie Lascelles got with the Gore Rates Reform group, sat them down, talked about the rates and legislative responsibility.
"Some of them understood, the rest didn’t and said we don’t care, we’re not paying more rates. They honestly think they’re lying to you," he said.
Cr Fraser said legislative responsibilities and the power of the dollar had a massive impact on the country across the board, but councils were the main target for criticism.
"Did you hit the banks up, protest the rates for mortgages, supermarkets who increased prices?" he said.
Engaging with these members of the community was a losing battle in Cr Fraser’s eyes, as he said they were coming to the table with their minds made up.
"There’s some people who no matter what you tell them, they will never accept what you say.
"They’ll never come see you. They don’t have any facts, they just don’t like what they hear," he said.
Cr Fraser said he was ready and open for discussion with the public as he did not want people to feel discouraged from approaching him and discussing council matters, as he wanted the long term plan to be as transparent and diplomatic as possible.
"There’s nothing hidden. This is what we need to do to get back to zero. I know we’re not going to please everyone, but we have to keep the town running, ideally within people’s budgets," he said.
Gore Rates Reform Group member David Turnbull acknowledged the rising legislative responsibility of local councils but said they need to do a better job at cutting costs in the district.
Mr Turnbull highlighted many issues the group felt were being overlooked by the council, such as parking, roading, and the cost of Parks and Recreation.
He felt as though members of the community were being silenced, and the frustration was warranted.
"A lot of people can’t speak up. That’s the general feeling in the public.
"There’s [a lot of people] who can’t afford a rates increase. There’s no wonder the public is getting irate with council," he said.
