Roderick J. Young

“I believe in fair, predictable rates—people shouldn’t be hit with big, sudden rate hikes. But low rates can’t come at the cost of letting our infrastructure decay. My approach is disciplined debt management, sequencing capital projects, and doing the basics well before pursuing ‘nice-to-have’ ones. I propose publishing a plain-English dashboard on rates and debt, so the community sees what’s being invested, what’s being deferred, and why.

On acceptable asset loss: very little. Prioritise safety-critical assets—roads, footpaths, lighting, stormwater. If condition deteriorates to danger, we must respond. Minor oversights will happen, but the goal is maintenance at a sufficient standard so loss is minimal—patch-levels, not holes you fall in.”

“Non-resident library membership fees (keeping cards free for residents). ‘Hamilton Bank’: a community-owned bank capturing local mortgage profit to invest locally. Better targeted user-pays where appropriate (e.g. parking permits, event charges) with full transparency.”

“Unity, partnership, inclusion. Co-design with Māori, iwi and communities on land, water, names, and decisions; shared indicators and outcomes. Hear neighbourhood voices early—design panels for infill, transport, parks. Drop-ins and being present across suburbs.”

“Be transparent, factual, accessible. Publish evidence for claims (budgets, timelines, KPIs). Respond quickly with public facts. Use plain language. Encourage media literacy and publish votes & reasons within 48 hours.”

“I’m Independent. Local basics shouldn’t be filtered through party lines. Collaborate with everyone, but avoid party-politics dominating local decisions.”

“They can help surface issues, but influence must be transparent—who’s speaking and who funds them. Weigh their input alongside evidence and community feedback.”

“Support. Fair, transparent enforcement builds trust. Must be resourced, independent, and follow due process.”

“Concerning. There should be consequences—stronger oversight, clearer codes, and in severe cases by-election triggers. Transparency and published votes help deter misconduct.”

“Be adaptable; anticipate change; use local design panels; rely on evidence (flood, resilience, capacity); advocate for Hamilton where rules are unfit.”

“Publish every vote and reasoning within 48 hours; plain-English rates/debt/contract dashboard; default open data; monthly budget/schedule tracking; early consultation; publish cost-benefits and trade-offs.”

“Weekly ‘Meet the Candidates @ Victoria by the River’—which I help organise. I’m out walking footpaths and talking on porches, not just in meetings.”

“Small grants, adaptive reuse, cultural programmes, accessible public space, protect heritage, support events with clear economic impact. Culture is a partner, not an afterthought.”

“Value artists rooted in community who tell local stories—especially from often-overlooked West Ward suburbs. Out of the 52 of us I did like Jack's rap tonight. Also Roma is creative in his banking ideas. Tim's car looks good. Sarah has a poster that is early and well. Rachel has the biggest smile for family. John has work hard on the details. Rus and his wife are lovely when they visited Victoria on the River and sang leap frog. Rudi and his wife put the leafets on all the chairs and replace them if moved.”

“Everyday volunteers, coaches, iwi leaders, small-business owners, youth leaders, NGOs—people who keep neighbourhoods alive.”

“Hamilton Bank to keep profits local. Modest non-resident library fees. Neighbourhood design panels to make infill acceptable.”

“Mostly local focus, but speak where impacts are local (e.g., climate, housing). Do so carefully, with evidence and consultation.”

“Keep those that deliver measurable cultural, educational, or economic value. Review costs and visibility to residents.”

“Friendly, clean, green, modern, and grounded. Community voice matters; good infrastructure, parks, PT, arts and business.”

“Hamilton West suburbs—Nawton, Dinsdale, Western Heights—plus lesser-known heritage sites and pocket parks.”

“Balanced system. Improve bus frequency and shelters; fix 1–2 km walking/cycling gaps; calm traffic near schools; design for accessibility and safety.”

“Maybe—if the business case stacks up. Likely tourism/visitor first; assess routes, frequency, wharves, integration and costs. A library card gets a local a ten cent ride of a gulf cart, a bus or a boad ride down the river from Peacocke to the Base then bus back for ten cents more. The visitor to Hamilton pays multiples of ten dollars for the same service so it works for all.”

“Regularly bus or bike across town to test what we build and spot issues like indirect routes or poor shelters. I have credit on my Bee card that I must used up faster. When Achilies training is at Memorial Park for training I bike. ”

“Absolutely—accessibility is essential. Audit and upgrade shelters, platforms, paths, crossings.”

“Make it inviting: public space, lighting, safety, amenities; access and parking that works; events; adaptive reuse; arts; careful sequencing of big projects. And a hive of golf carts for ten cents a ride so you can go from shops to bus stops.”

“Jobs, startups, internships, simpler regs for entrepreneurs; affordable housing; quality transport and culture so people want to stay.”

“Justified if reinvested transparently and equitably. Consider local discounts using library card; review impacts and maintenance outcomes.”

“Often too late. Fix with ward drop-ins, clear timelines, early drafts, design panels, plain materials, and ‘you said / we did’ reporting.”

“Cautious. Possible efficiencies but risks to local voice. Any change needs deep consultation and clear ROI; I don’t support top-down moves.”

“Opportunity to strengthen readiness and resilience. Councils need clarity, resources, powers, Māori partnership, transparency, and no unfunded mandates. I’d scrutinise provisions for Hamilton’s realities.”

“Strongly support. Build accessibility in from the start—paths, gradients, ramps. Slightly higher upfront cost, better lifelong inclusion and less retrofitting.”

“Support retention. They ensure representation where decisions affect land, water, culture, and place. My platform emphasises partnership, co-design, and shared outcomes. I am but dust of voices old and strong. A thousand years of tongues where I belong. Maori did speak when stars were still asleep, Yet now, the English law doth rule this keep. Eighteen percent! A slice so slim, so recent— Three thousand tongues lost, not deemed convenient. But I recall them all, and in my hand, I hold the truths this country must withstand.”