Vandervis stirred controversy by praising Simms and Lund as the most successful business people on the council, prompting Mayor Sophie Barker to request an apology. Instead of complying, Vandervis decided to exit the meeting. Earlier, there was a dispute when Christine Garey objected to Vandervis labeling the Peninsula Connection project as a “nice to have” rather than a safety project, which the mayor supported as a valid point of order.
The council is considering a potential 10.5% rates increase for Dunedin residents, leading to discussions on spending levels before finalizing the draft annual plan for public consultation. Lund criticized the budget as merely trimming around the edges and not going far enough, while Simms voiced concerns about the lack of effort in finding savings.
