Rates: Some years ago there was a City Councillor called Oscar Alpers. At one of the numerous meetings on setting the rates Oscar came up with an observation. He referred to councillors bulldozing costs into another year by putting off addressing costs and therefore being able o set low rates. It … [Read more...]
Phil Mauger’s “I am standing for mayor because I want to get stuff done” column:
Rate increases: Remember how Phil was promoting 4% rates increases during the election campaign? Last week we analysed how much costs CCC is facing that have gone up over which they have little control, and that it would be nigh on impossible to get to that figure. So, let us consider how … [Read more...]
What $100m of CCC expenditure decrease, and a zero-rates promise, would mean:
Last week I said that I would try to show what zero rates over the next three years would mean. Firstly, a lesson on what makes up rates. A City Council spends money with operating costs and capital expenditure. Operating costs include mowing lawns, running libraries, swimming pools etc. … [Read more...]