No community funding for local boards until July 2011

Published in Central Leader, print edition, Friday 29th October 2010

Last-minute spending dries future community funding pool

A last-minute spend-up by community boards before the supercity election has left newly-elected local board members with no discretionary funding until at least mid-2011.

Community boards were told they had to spend a year's worth of funding, valued at $51,000, in just three months before the election or risk losing the money altogether.

But that decision has left local boards with no discretionary funding to support community group events or other needs until next July at the earliest, when the Auckland Council draws up its new budget.

Even then, there's no guarantee the council will allocate discretionary budgets to local boards.
Puketapapa Local Board member Michael Wood says it's disappointing that money won't be immediately available for the benefit of the community. "It seems to fly in the face of assurances that local boards would represent local communities," the Roskill Community Voice member says.

"It goes to the heart of criticism of the supercity structure to begin with..."

 Click through for the rest of the article, from Stuff.

Central Leader on election result

Published in the Central Leader, print edition, Wednesday 13th October 2010.

Husband and wife win seats on local board

It's new beginnings all round for Michael Wood and Julie Fairey.

The husband and wife team have been voted on to the Puketapapa Local Board and have also just become parents again with the birth of their second child Daniel.

Mr Wood had run for election twice before but this was Ms Fairey's first foray into campaigning and the Mt Roskill couple is humbled by the win.

"I knew Michael would get in but it's been a bit of a surprise for me," Ms Fairey says.

"It's been exciting and the messages of support have been very touching..."

Click through for the rest of the article, on Stuff.