I am an entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in private sector business and governance. I offer a balanced and effective, common sense approach based upon honesty, integrity and sound leadership. As a lifelong resident and fan of New Plymouth, I advocate projects that will continue to build our community and enhance the quality of life in our district. With a commitment to sustainable positive growth and job creation, I offer my skills in budget oversight, cost savings and debt management, with a desire to provide transparency of the Council’s investment arm TIML. I am passionate about helping others to succeed and am able to see the big picture and make it happen. As a Sole my family's connection with New Plymouth and the wider Taranaki region goes back five generations. I've been married to Melanie for 13 years and am a lifetime investor in the city of New Plymouth.

Top 5 Issues

1. Cost Control - It is pretty simple, if we spend more money than we collect then the outcome of this is a likely rate increase which is a real burden on those of fixed or lower incomes! So we need to make sure that any spending the council undertakes outside of budget is indeed justified, that the actual running costs of the council is as efficient as possible and if we "watch the pennies the dollars will take care of themselves" has never been truer :)
2. Transparency - We are a public entity and there should be no reason not to communicate what is happening with public money or the workings of the council, I will advocate for the TIML fund to be made open book and as the council hires the CEO we will make sure that communication is improved from a council perspective!
3. Sustainable Growth - I really believe if our community is to continue to stay strong and vibrant then we need to make sure we have healthy small, medium and large business sectors as these businesses create employment and revenue back into the community. I also think we can cash in more with tourism and education, but the precursor to this growth is it has to be achieved sustainably!
4. Accountability - In the private sector if you make a mistake that caused a project to go over budget by more than 10% then some serious questions would be asked and it is likely you would be shown the door! And how come our contractors to NPDC are guilt free in these project blow outs - we should be having capped contracts or if you go over budget then it is at your cost Mr contractor! No more I say!
5. User Pays - There are some free or very low cost asset services like pools, galleries etc that should still be those rates for any library card holder in our district (Though I would like this extended to the Taranaki region) but could easily be increased for outside visitors with out any complaints from these visitors and would make some of these marginal assets much more affordable to the district! And this would also help overcome community discomfort for non budgeted projects that need initial and ongoing funding!

Personal Profile

I was born in 1969 and I have lived the majority of my life in Taranaki and my parents Tekla and Stan Sole still live in Warea, growing up on the coast with four brothers (Dean, Leon, Stanley & Matthew) and Katherine my only sister in the farming community of Warea was great and I attended Warea Primary School and then onto Okato College. 

I've been married to my incredible wife Melanie for 13 years who works for Origin Energy as a HSE manager, we are lifetime investors in the city of New Plymouth, bothMelanie and I love the lifestyle living in Taranaki affords.

My opinion on what it entails to be an effective Councillor!

 My belief is you need to be passionate about your community, have a good deal of common sense, have integrity, be accessible, honest, transparent, fair & equitable, open minded with the ability to listen to the constituants as after all I would be your voice in the council so I need to represent your direction / concerns effectively! Along with this I need to have the skills you would expect like leadership and governance as often we work with a Mayor and a diverse range of Councillors who also have their take on what the community wants so this ability to find common ground and build trust with the other Councillors & Mayor is vital if you want to be effective!