Rates Increase Anything But Average

“Len Brown’s apparent moderate approach to rates increases should not be allowed to go unchallenged. Especially when he tries to curry favour with voters by boasting of an ‘average’ rates increase of 2.9% this year,” says Affordable Auckland Waitemata & Gulf council candidate Stephen Berry. “Many ratepayers will be hit with increases far in excess of this figure.”

Rates increases differ across the Super City region as a result of aligning rating levels between the various different former Councils. “This means residents of former Councils that taxed relatively prudently, such as the residents of Orewa, get smashed with increases of 10% on top of last year’s 10% increase. Residents of high tax former councils end up getting a decrease in rates. I say every ratepayer in Auckland should be getting a rates decrease!”

Stephen Berry says that the only guaranteed way for ratepayers across the city to have a rates reduction is to ensure that a majority of councillors on the next Auckland City Council are from the Affordable Auckland ticket. “Even councillors who are portrayed as financially frugal will usually argue for keeping rates increase below inflation. Affordable Auckland candidates say there should be no increases whatsoever. Every Auckland ratepayer deserves a genuine cut in rates!”

“A sense of fiscal sanity needs to be restored in the next Auckland City Council. Voters will not obtain this by electing the same washed out crew of career councillors who waste millions of dollars on trains that go nowhere and institute rules that add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of building a new home.

“The activities of Auckland City council need to be scaled back to providing only those basic essentials which are necessary for running the city. Then the Council can get to work on a budget which ensures actual cuts in rates for all Aucklanders.”

Affordable Auckland is one of several parties under the Affordable City umbrella contesting the 2013 local body elections. More Affordable City parties and candidates will be announced in the near future.

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