In my last column I said my main mission while remaining as a councillor was to try and keep the rate rise for the 25-26 year and future years under three per cent. I am sorry to say I have failed miserably. Across Waikato District, ratepayers will be looking at between seven to 11 per cent rises including targeted rates. If you receive both water and wastewater services, you will be closer to the 11 per cent.
Mike Keir
To me this is unacceptable in the current environment, however I was the only councillor to vote against this Long Term Plan. Councillors were led by the nose by the executive management team with the support of our current mayor.
I would advise ratepayers to engage in this year’s election to vote for candidates who will seriously look to challenge the current system. Everywhere you turn you will hear how our local government system is broken. However, aside from a lot of talk I do not see any real action to change this. The local government reform process carried out in 2022 and 2023 was a joke, achieving absolutely nothing.
As Frank Scrimgeour of Waikato University said at a recent forum on local government one positive option is to remerge regional and district councils as the current system is inefficient and wasteful. The amount of waste I see as a councillor in the consenting process both in time and money where city and district councils have to pay regional councils is ridiculous.
Case in point, the Tamahere Gully Restoration Trust who are doing great work in the Tamahere gully systems are constrained by regional council process and regulation. These people are removing plant pests and planting native species. Instead of getting behind them and saying “how can we help?” the regional council make this process more difficult and expensive.
There is the option of merging some of our local councils as well. However, it is difficult to get any consensus on this. Councils do need to downsize and focus on their core business of roads, parks and reserves, waste management and waters as while it will soon be off council books ratepayers will still be paying for it.
I believe it is possible to reduce the bureaucracy but only if you elect a committed council that is prepared to make some tough decisions.
WDC’s most recent resident satisfaction survey showed good results in areas like kerbside collection and parks and reserves, at 80 per cent and 73 per cent respectively. However overall performance at 38 per cent, engagement at 28 per cent and value for money at 29 per cent are shocking results.
Here is what management had to say about value for money. “This trend highlights increasing dissatisfaction with the costs of fees, rates, and water charges. Considering the current economic climate, this downward trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.”
So they are not going to do anything about it and you as the ratepayer just need to suck it up!
As I say, there is an alternative, you just need to get out and vote for the right people in this year’s election.
