Ashburton District Council's "no frills' budget still delivers the biggest rate rise in over a decade - and it hasn't gone down well with the public.
One Ashburton ratepayer is worried that with prices going up, people won't be able to afford large rate rises. Photo: LDR / Ashburton District Council
Mayor Neil Brown has signalled a 9.4 percent average rate rise in the draft annual plan, describing it as a no frills, back-to-basics budget that's being impacted by record inflation, Covid-related stresses, and new property valuations.
But the biggest rates rise in over 10 years isn't sitting comfortably with ratepayers, with Ashburton Guardian Facebook followers making their points strongly known.
Matt Harris said the council "has a different definition of no frills than the rest of us".
Kylie Flanagan said that "with the cost of everything going up, how are we all going to afford this?"
Others touched on the need for improvements to roading and water supplies, which would require further funding and a bigger rate rise or making better use of the existing rates funding.
Greg Martin looked at the bigger picture when he said: "it's also the huge effect of compounding increases over the last 10 years. Increases on top of the increases".
And he's right because in the past 10 years rates have increased a combined 51.5 percent, with an average increase of 5.15 per year from 2012/13 to 2021/22.
Increases have fluctuated from the low Covid-impacted 2.56 percent in 2020/21 to 7.2 percent in 2014/15, an annual plan that included $18 million for the EA Networks Centre.
The 2022/23 draft annual plan is being compiled for the councillors to consider in April before it goes out for public consultation.
But Brown said the council planned to hold consultation meetings to explain to residents how the council arrived at 9.4 percent.
Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown expects consultation meetings will provide ratepayers with more clarity. Photo: LDR / Adam Burns
Inflation, factored in at 5 percent, and increasing costs were key components, while there was also the impact of the property revaluations.
A hot real estate market had pushed values up by around 25.5 percent since 2018 to an average of $486,000. That figure had already created plenty of opposition and concern in the community.
With the weight of online anguish over the proposed rise, it will be of interest if that animosity flows through in the public consultation.
Last year's long-term plan received a higher than average 431 submissions.
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