Outgoing Rotorua Lakes mayor Steve Chadwick says while she loves her district, at times it has disappointed her.
Ms Chadwick says she was a staunch believer in bilingual partnerships, so the backlash against the council’s work to develop a partnership with Te Arawa saddened her.
“Then of course the next issue we faced was a backlash about Maori wards and I was absolutely blown away there was that lack of tolerance and understanding of the value of working together in a town like Rotorua,” she says.
She hopes with a new mayor on the ballot as well as a Maori ward, people will get out and vote for a better future for the district.
