Is Local Government NZ Just A Junket-fest for Ambitious Councillors?

Question for Other Councils:  Should We Stay or Should We Go?

The Otago Daily Times this week reported that Christchurch City Council has announced its resignation from Local Government New Zealand: 

"Councillors at a meeting today decided to no longer be part of LGNZ, after membership costs rose by more than $20,000 to $163,254.75 for the coming year."

Ratepayers of New Zealand, take out your calculators:  That's what ONE Council pays. On top of that, according to its website, the LGNZ gets a cool $10 million from the Ministry of Social Development (as if THAT money couldn't be spent more usefully elsewhere), and a few other substantial slushy hand-outs from other government departments, including, for example, the Department of Internal Affairs.

And, again according to its website, it has 10 (TEN) staff.

Nice work, if you can get it.

Apart from its annual "Super Conference" and many networking events for ambitious local councillors, here's a word salad of the tremendous value the ratepayer derives from the work of this esteemed organisation:

• "We advocate for the national interests of local government on critical issues.
• "We generate a national conversation about key local government challenges by commissioning research and developing thought leadership.
• "We speak out for local government in the media – on issues like rates rises, local government funding and harassment of elected members.
• "Our expertise help councils to decode policy and make submissions.
• "We operate in a political environment – but we’re nonpartisan and build a strong relationship with the government of the day that supports members’ engagement."

Might be time to approach your local Mayor and Councillors and demand an accounting of the Return on Investment that your council's ratepayers are getting for the chunk of ratepayer moolah they hand over each year to this crowd.