What an honour to be ‘awarded’ top performing DCC Councillor by the ODT Council reporter with a score of 7.5 .
I’d been a bit worried for a while about what my mark would be and how I’d be perceived. I may not fill a flightful five minutes of speechifying at each opportunity, but I like to think I’m pretty targeted and focus on the issues at hand.
Here’s what was said “Cr Barker produced a strong showing in her first term. Generally likeable. She has a good grasp of governance and is obsessive about how well decision-making aligns with council strategies. She is one of the councillors more likely to ask a penetrating question. Her contribution during debates is frequently insightful. An arguably inadvisable stand she took with Jim O’Malley during the 10-year plan relating to spending discipline was a blip that hinted at some flippancy about the democratic process. It seemed out of character for her. Cr Barker is an advocate for heritage and rail assets. She took real notice of a survey result indicating substantial community dissatisfaction with the performance of the mayor and councillors. She is not a polarising figure and she communicates effectively. Regardless of how she fares in the mayoralty contest, she appears to be poised to be given more responsibility next term.”
Read everyone’s ratings On the ODT webpage
Sophie Barker Mayor of Dunedin 