Waitomo Mayor John Robertson's claim about the reasons for the council's virtually nil rates increase have been challenged by one of the longer-term district councillors.
An area of houses in the Waitomo District. Photo: Waitomo District Council / waitomo.govt.nz
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Phil Brodie, a fourth-term district councillor first elected in October 2010, said the council was only in a position to hold its rates because of decisions the council made during the last 10 years.
First term mayor Robertson said in his report at last week's meeting that the council was able to hold its rates largely because of a change in policy regarding funding of depreciation on the district's roads.
Interest rates were also expected to be about $300,000 lower than forecast, which also had an impact on rates, he said.
Brodie said the Waitomo District Council was only in that position because of decisions made during the past 10 years to start upgrading facilities.
"So we are therefore in a position where the policy change allows us to have a negative rate increase - where just about every other council in the country has had to maintain or increase their levels of service for infrastructure," Brodie said.
Department of Internal Affairs analysis of draft LTPs from around the country indicated the average rates across the LTPs were going up 9.5 percent for the first year, he said.
"And council's debts are going to increase dramatically, whereas our proposal is for a substantial if not dramatic decrease in our debt.
"I think people need to know the full story on how we fit in with everyone else in the country.
"We have been the target of national scrutiny for decisions that have or haven't been made in the past. The point of my concern is that the whole story needs to be emphasised."
Te Kūiti's rates will decrease 0.54 percent for the 2021-22 financial year, then increase 2.06 percent for 2022-23 and 4.37 percent for 2023-24, according to the adopted 10 Year Plan. The rate was struck at 0.18583 cents per $100 capital value plus a $728 uniform annual charge.
The mayor said the change in policy had been substantial and led the council to being able to hold rates.
"Without that we would not have been there, as indeed with interest rates," he said.
Councillor Sue Smith said the mayor's statement in his report that the Te Kūiti aerodrome must break even as soon as possible, and that holiday parks must cover their costs, were incorrect.
"We have discussed our preference for holiday parks to pay their way and about landfills etc. There is no formal commitment that they must," she said. "I don't want people to assume that we had made some formal commitment to that. It was a discussion point."
The landfill comment was in reference to a plan for the WDC to comprehensively review rubbish collection and disposal.
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