Rates reprieve unlikely

Balclutha pensioner Bruce Graham says rates rises will force him out of his Clyde St home of 20...
Balclutha pensioner Bruce Graham says rates rises will force him out of his Clyde St home of 20 years. Photo by Hamish MacLean.

Balclutha residents have been warned not to expect good news on a threatened rates rise after a concerned resident presented a petition asking Clutha district councillors to go back on their decision to raise rates considerably.

The council earlier this month considered a petition containing over 200 signatures presented by Balclutha pensioner Bruce Graham that expressed ''utter disgust'' with councillors who voted to raise the average rates bill by $457 over three years.

The rating scheme adopted in the recent long-term plan was mainly to do with introducing uniform water charges.

The new charges will raise the average annual Balclutha rates bill by $947 over the next six years.

Balclutha, Stirling, Owaka and Waihola ratepayers face rates rises while Clinton, Kaitangata, Kaka Point, Lawrence, Milton and Tapanui ratepayers will get a reduction.

Mr Graham said superannuitants were already struggling. He was also concerned there would be a trickle-down effect throughout the district as businesses increased their fees to cover their own rates increases.

It would be more appropriate to distribute the cost over the district rather than target Balclutha residents, he said.

But the council voted against reviewing the revenue and financing policy for 2015-16 after hearing a review could cost a further $28,500 once auditing and advertising costs were factored in.

However, councillors undertook to take the petition into consideration during the revenue and financing policy review leading up to the 2018-28 long term plan.

Cr Bruce Graham (not the petitioner) was concerned taking the petition into consideration during the council's consultation process might give false hope rates would come back down.

However, Cr Hamish Anderson said the council would needed to go through a consultation process when debating the next long term plan regardless and considering the petition would not affect that.

samuel.white@odt.co.nz

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