Councillor Clashes With Mayoral Hopeful, Makes Jibe About European Holiday

Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 8:35 pm
Article: Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter

A Hastings councillor running for mayor has brushed off another councillor's jibe about his European holiday amid his rate-rise-busting campaign launch.

First-term councillor Marcus Buddo announced over the weekend he would run for mayor on a platform focused on financial responsibility.

However, another Hastings councillor Damon Harvey posted on social media on Tuesday that he was "dismayed" that Buddo was trying to position himself as the "ratepayer saviour".

"What a load of BS," Harvey, who is standing for re-election on council and has indicated he is strongly considering the mayoralty, wrote in a post that he has since amended.

Harvey, who called 30-year-old Buddo "young and inexperienced", said in 2024 a finance working group, led by councillor Michael Fowler, was set up to go through all council spending and "find savings" before the council's Long Term Plan was finalised.

"The candidate put himself forward, but then decided to go on ... leave on a European holiday.

"Upon his return, he knew that some (including me) were asking the question of whether he received his council pay while on holiday.

"To win brownie points in his rural ward he donated 'some' of his pay to a rural school.

"I can assure you that those that did all the work in the finance working party and other councillors were, and are, fully focused on the burden to ratepayers - and that all urban ward councillors are committed to the additional cyclone recovery rate of 8 percent, as we know the economic importance of our rural community," Harvey said.

Harvey said he had taken exception to Buddo's statement to Hawke's Bay Today that it had been "councillors who had voted to spend" ratepayer money.

Buddo said Harvey had "falsely" claimed in the post that he took three months off.

"I was away for two months and donated $6000 [of my council salary]," he said of the trip.

"$3000 went to the Kereru Hall for their fundraiser, $500 went to the Kereru School to support Elly Grady, a year 8 student who wrote an awesome children's book about the Cyclone experience.

"That leaves $2500, which is tagged for a celebration for the Kereru community when their gorge opens on April 18 this year.

"This has been the intention from the start, but sadly the opening date has been delayed a few times," he said.

Buddo, who represents the Kahuranaki Ward, said no one had criticised his European trip before Harvey's social media post on Tuesday.

He took the trip to spend some time with his partner on her OE, Buddo said.

No one had pushed him to donate the money either, he said.

"I just felt it was fair to donate as Kereru was hurting, and needed support. Plus I hadn't expected to be paid."

He said councillors had to request leave at a council meeting, and all councillors had voted and accepted his leave at the time.

"Supporting the Kereru Community has been a highlight of my time on council, they have been through so much, and been incredibly constructive and understanding. It has been a pleasure to be in a position to be able to support them."

Councillor Fowler wrote on social media in support of Harvey saying he and other councillors had worked hard in 2024 to make savings.

"Cr Buddo went on a European holiday over the period last year of what was one, I think, of the most critical annual budgets and long-term plans Hastings District Council has ever faced."

He said Buddo was now taking "easy shots" at saving money which was "populist, short sighted, short-term thinking and he shows no vision, currently".

At the end of 2023, Harvey was removed as chair of the council's Performance and Monitoring Committee, with mayor Sandra Hazlehurst saying at the time it was largely due to "succession planning" but was also in part because of his public comments about the council.

Harvey at the time said the mayor had "mistakenly connected" his comments to a court case involving the Hastings District Council.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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