**Rachel Shepherd’s billboards have been vandalised during the election campaign.**

Two incumbent Taupō District councillors believe the campaign in this year’s local elections has taken a turn for the worse and are urging voters to make their own minds up.

By Chris Marshall

Rachel Shepherd and Yvonne Westerman say people should contact councillors directly if they want to discuss issues or understand how and why a councillor voted a certain way.

Both have been on the receiving end of stickers they feel are targeting them personally.

An anti-Māori Ward sticker on Westerman’s work building was, she felt, in response to her stance on Te Papamārearea Māori Ward.

“My support for it hasn’t wavered … I want to see the Māori Ward go through.”

The sticker purported to be authorised by Hobson’s Pledge.

Westerman says the level of debate has descended to an appalling level, with what she felt was wilful misunderstanding – “faceless hypocrites who hide behind a computer screen, if you haven’t got the guts to say it in public, don’t say it at all.”

It was the same with the vote for the Joint Management Agreement between the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, she says.

“People didn’t want to understand what’s going on… the people who were stirring up the online backlash won the day, but it will be back on the radar when I hopefully get re-elected. And if not, then the people have spoken.”

Vandalism to one of Shepherd’s election hoardings – right outside her house was obviously targeted, Shepherd says.

The large black and yellow ‘Warning Anti-Ratepayer’ sticker, claiming to be authorised by the lobby group New Zealand Taxpayers Union (NZTU) was possibly in response to her not signing the union’s Ratepayers Protection Pledge, she says.

This has been sent to all candidates nationwide with some subsequently displaying that they have signed it on social media posts. It asks candidates to make three commitments: oppose rates increases above inflation and population growth, support better transparency initiatives for council spending, and oppose unelected appointees on council committees.

**One of the stickers plastered on Yvonne Westerman’s business premises.**

Taupō & Tūrangi News contacted the Taxpayers Union on Monday about whether it had authorised the use of the stickers but had not responded by Wednesday morning.

Shepherd said she had fielded a lot of questions about rates capping.

“And I've been very vocal as to why I don't think that's the correct measure or the only tool in the toolbox. But interestingly, it was the only sign (to be stickered) of that kind that I've seen anywhere. I know there are a lot of other signs of other councillors… So I feel like it was quite personal.

“Whoever it is knows where I live, and they know my stance on rates capping, which is that I approve, of course, but not to the detriment of infrastructure – household inflation not being the accurate measure, in my opinion.”

A check on Friday (September 26) of the NZTU’s list of who has signed the pledges showed mayoral candidates John Funnell and Zane Cozens had, but of the 17 Taupō Ward candidates only Duncan Campbell and Anne Tweedie had ticked all three boxes and Steve Punter two out of the three.

Local government was heavily legislated and regulated, Shepherd says, and the debate on rates capping was at times overly simplistic.

“The parameters within which we make decisions are very narrow and they are driven by legislation. You can't say, with 67 councils in the country all having trouble keeping rates increases to single digits, that it's incompetence. It's clearly systemic.”

She feels people put too much reliance on social media posts.

“They're not trusting what's being said by elected members... They seem to be trusting opinions on Facebook or activist movements like Hobson's Pledge or the Taxpayers' Union saying, hey, this should be standardised throughout councils without adequate knowledge…

“Listen to everybody, because our experiences are all different and our opinions are all different. That's what you base your voting on, not a political movement or group who obviously have their own motives.

“If you want to know how things are decided or how I've made a decision, email me, call me… don't trust a Facebook noticeboard page or a comment section.”

The irony is that the Taxpayers Union was calling for openness.

“But then when you're open, you get targeted for it, so that's stifling open debate and transparency too… I've spoken to some of the other incumbents and this particular election has been more hostile, and there seems to be a little bit more vitriol.”

However, she thought nastiness was the preserve of a fringe element,

“The silent middle are larger and far smarter than some give them credit for.”

As for the anti-ratepayer sticker that came out of the blue.

“I was expecting the odd moustache or glasses or something.”

Potential Penalties

While election hoardings might seem like fair game, defacing or vandalising them is illegal and can lead to criminal charges and penalties under the Summary Offences Act 1981.

These could include: imprisonment up to three months and a fine up to $2000 for wilful damage; a community-based sentence or up to $2000 fine for graffiti, and a fine up to $200 for sticking bills without the consent of the owner or occupier.

The Taupō and Tūrangi News has contacted both Hobson’s Pledge and the NZTU to confirm the stickers come from them and whether they come with any instructions.