THE residents of Ward 10 ensured councillor Terence ‘Tex’ Collins retained his position by making their mark at this year’s Local Government Elections.
Collins, who has been the councillor since 2018 when he took over from Rick Crouch, said he is humbled and elated that the people of his ward have put their trust in him.
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A Ward 10 resident himself, Collins said he will prioritise the mismanagement and errors experienced by residents with the City’s electricity billing system and the issues concerning the verges and stormwater drains.
“The ruling party is spending on things that are nice to have instead of the must-haves. For example, the Parks, Leisure and Recreation Department priorities making parks look pretty, but has abandoned our verges and stormwater drains,” he said.
Collins said that the City may have implemented a new smart meter reading system, but he doesn’t see that fixing the present issues with billing if it will still be run by incompetent contractors.
However, he applauded the residents for their patience and understanding and the pride they take in caring for the community and ensuring the area is kept clean.
“People in this ward take great pride in their homes, which is their biggest investment,” he said.
Collins, during his term, has seen the Kloof Civic Hall revamped, the completion of the Ashley Drive bridge in Hillcrest and another bridge in Stockville on Coronation Road.
“I would love to see a kick-about being built in Stockville for the kids in the area, so they have a place where they can play,” he said.
He looks forward to another term and ensuring that many pressing issues in the ward are addressed, such as the road infrastructure and the unlawful entering of heavy trucks on some of the roads.
“Some existing speed humps need to be painted as they have faded, which makes them hard to spot, especially at night. We also have ageing infrastructure that requires proper maintenance,” he said.
Collins to also prioritise the safety of the M13 as well as the poor collection of refuse and insufficient supply of refuse bags.
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