The Local - Mt Victoria
Two city councillors at the June public meeting apologised to the Mt Victoria community for voting to remove funding from the Mt Vic Hub.
Laurie Foon, who was one of the councillors on the grants subcommittee, said that she voted alongside the other members because the change was included as part of a wider vote.
“So at the end of the day, it was just too overwhelming,” she told the meeting. “That's why it went through unanimously because it was all loaded together, and it wasn't set up to start picking apart. I could have worked harder to do that, and in hindsight, I would have, and I should have, and I'm sorry, but that is what happened with the process on the day.”
She praised the work that the Board did and acknowledged the hurt the decision had caused.
She said that other community centres may face a similar outcome in the future as the council came up against reduced funding and government direction to focus on the basics.
“The reality is that while Crossways and Mt Vic hub that have been singled out this time, next time, you know, there will be likely more because council just simply, under the current regime and the direction, cannot keep funding community, places, centres, recreation centres, all of these things.”
Although he was not on the grants subcommittee, Lambton/Pukehīnau ward councillor Geordie Rogers admitted he had originally expressed his support to Nicola Young to remove the Hub’s funding.
“I have apologised to the Hub directly, particularly for my involvement and not ensuring that they were communicated with fairly. And I think I also owe all of you an apology for the same thing,” he told the meeting.
“I think, particularly in my position as a ward counsellor, even though I'm not on that committee, my role in advocating for you, I did let you down, and so I want to apologise for that.”
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