Roy Pilott
General elections involve a big build up and a queue at polling stations.
Local body elections involve little fanfare. Papers arrive in your letterbox – some people vote straight away, others leave them around for days or even weeks and most people don’t get round to filling them out at all.
Polls close in eight days. Less than 4.6 percent of voters had voted in Waipā by Tuesday night. It is shaping up to be a staggeringly low turnout.
Why should you vote, anyway?
Well, despite what cynics might say, it’s vital – because you influence how your community is run – from roadworks to parks and reserves maintenance through to spending on major projects.
Some candidates oppose allowing more people to live in Waipā, some don’t want anything spent on a museum, some want to build a bridge, some don’t want cultural input, some would go back to square one on the Te Awamutu Memorial Park revamp.
Need more information? Go to www.teawamutunews.nz or www.cambridgenews.nz and take time to read through the stories we have written about candidates’ views and meetings.
It’s your choice – take the opportunity to have a say on the administration of a significant part of the world around you for the next three years – or sit back and let other people who might have views you find alarming make the decision for you.
