The Dunedin City Council received plenty of feedback about its draft 2024-25 annual plan and more than 700 submissions have been classified against more than 50 topics.
They include drinking water, debt, performing arts, responding to climate change, parking, live music, public toilets, playgrounds and tourism.
A 17.5% rates increase has been proposed, or what the council has called a "rates increase of 13.1%, plus 4.4% for kerbside collection services".
The revamp of rubbish and recycling kerbside collection — including replacing black plastic bags with wheelie bins — is essentially not up for debate, as the service is set to start on July 1.
Laureen Bennett is one resident who told the council she did not "consent" to a 17.5% rates rise.
Borrowing needed to be reduced and spending should be restricted to "essential works", she said.
Patricia Penman agreed and pointed to the cost-of-living crisis residents were already facing.
The council has said price rises also affected council budgets and "to keep delivering the services our residents value, we need [to] raise rates to help pay for them".
Many residents were keener to traverse various other subjects.
The council specifically asked about whether it should take over ownership of Logan Park hockey artificial turfs and upgrade them, and about a proposed 11% increase in rents for community housing.
Laura Smallridge said upgrades of the turf were important for player safety and for hosting competitions that brought people to the city.
Simon Cullen said provision of quality sporting facilities was a key function of the council and undertaking the project would "bring hockey more in line with how facilities are provided to other sports".
Sarah Barker said ratepayers did not have "bottomless pockets".
"Why buy the hockey fields when there are so many necessary costs that need to be met?"
The council said an 11% increase in community housing rents would cover the increased cost to operate the portfolio.
Many Dunedin residents doubted the increase should be so steep.
"I do not support this increase given the vulnerability of those affected", Karen Anderson said.
However, Shirley Pearson said the existing rent was low.
"I like my place and don’t mind paying the extra", she said.
Tūhura Otago Museum director Ian Griffin said the council should reconsider proposing not to increase its funding.
The museum wants a 5% increase in levy funding, followed by increases that reflect the rate of inflation.
"If we don’t obtain additional funding, we will have to reduce the number of staff and curtail gallery development projects", Dr Griffin said.
Museum marketing co-ordinator Charlie Buchan said Tūhura stood as a "beacon of culture, education and community engagement".
"Despite welcoming the largest number of visitors, engaging with the largest number of tourists, hosting Dunedin’s largest events calendar and actively educating thousands of our local youth, Tūhura finds itself facing significant financial constraints."
The Broad Bay School board of trustees said the peninsula roading upgrade should be completed out to Harington Point.
Widening the road and creating a shared path for part of the peninsula had enabled more people to walk, exercise and meet, and the project should be finished, the board said.
Edna Stevenson said part of the road was narrow, crumbling into the Otago Harbour and flood-prone.
The Dunedin Area Residents’ Association argued a 17.5% rates rise was unaffordable.
A planned increase in council debt of $117.5 million to take the total to $706.5m by the end of June next year was worrying, it said.
A series of submitters argued the temporary performing arts venue Te Whare o Rukutia should be funded to run for another year.
A submitter named Barry Williams said he wanted the council to consider having a train service run to Middlemarch.
"Forget lifting the tracks for non-paying cyclists", he said.
Annual plan hearings start on Wednesday and are scheduled to run for two days.
