Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson Jo Holmes says:

“Auckland Council has released a statement to media boasting that, based on submissions to the Emergency Budget, a majority of Aucklanders support its rates increase. What the Council fails to mention is that their official submission form didn’t allow submitters to oppose it! The only options were a rates increase or an insulting 'I don’t know' option.”

“Despite screwing the scrum, the Council was still only able to secure 57 percent of submissions supporting its rate hike. That is incredible and shows how the Council has failed to secure a mandate to hike rates during a literal pandemic.”

“Ratepayers who wanted to opposed the hike were forced to seek out alternative submission forms. About 10,000 ratepayers used the Ratepayers’ Alliance‘s form to oppose a rates increase – almost a third of all submissions to the Budget.”

“The Council must have been getting nervous, because they say they commissioned a separate survey from Colmar Brunton. They claim it shows 89 percent support for a rates increase. But the Council hasn’t published the questions, response options, or sample details! The 89 percent figure is laughable. We have requested the full survey information and can guarantee the Council attempted the same shenanigans they did with their consultation form.”

© Scoop Media