I have long advocated leaving Local Government NZ for the reasons Brown gives but also because they have degenerated into excusing Central Government excesses like forcing 3 Waters ‘reform’ on Councils when 60 of 67 Councils voted to opt out of MP Mahuta’s 3 Waters scheme.
I have also advocated unsuccessfully that the DCC no longer fund SOLGM for similar self-serving reasons. I see little ratepayer value in either organisation.
“Taituarā — Local Government Professionals Aotearoa (formerly SOLGM) is the national organisation that supports and develops local government professionals in New Zealand.”
Auckland Council quits LGNZ
Auckland:Auckland Council has quit Local Government New Zealand, Mayor Wayne Brown questioning its value after seeing hundreds of members ‘‘getting p….. all night long’’ at its conferences.
Mr Brown used his casting vote to pass the measure after the vote was split 10-10 at yesterday’s council meeting.
LGNZ is a representative group for local government across New Zealand and provides advocacy and support for local councils.
Mr Brown said membership of LGNZ, was costing about $640,000 a year. — RNZ
Lee Vandervis 
The nationalizing of LGNZ goes completely against the grain of Local representation. Local government needs to be protected and ripped from the centralizing movement. The top down control destroys the spirit of public service by good government people whom want to serve their local community. This was a great move by Mayor Brown, and demonstrates that licking the boots of media gets you nowhere, and perhaps treating the media as the fools they are, and forging on with good policy, gets you somewhere. Most people get it, if the old party system doesn’t. Wayne will be making the current elite quake, he’s got a common sense populist zeitgeist about him.