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Photo: ODT files
Photo: ODT files
A rates rise of 4.1% for 2020-21 has been officially signed off by the Dunedin City Council.

After consultation and a series of hearings and debates since January, councillors voted yesterday to adopt the 2020-21 plan.

The council has an unbalanced budget, where expected revenue does not meet council expenses, because of the economic fallout from Covid-19.

Cr Mike Lord said the pandemic was a unique event, and the council could not have anticipated the mothballing of Dunedin Railways as a cost.

Cr Steve Walker said the decision to reduce the rates rise was the right choice.

‘‘I would say 4.1% instead of 6.5% ... is definitely in my mind something that gives us best opportunity to mitigate what are going to be some hard-felt impacts.’’

Only Cr Lee Vandervis voted against the annual plan adoption and rates increase, saying there was no real recognition of the ‘‘fundamental and substantial change’’ Covid-19 had wrought for Dunedin.

Councillors also approved an amendment to the 2018-28 10-year plan to reduce the community services targeted rate from $240.50 to $100 in 2020-21.

The long-term plan will be redrafted next year.

Comments

So we are to tighten our belts lately, but the council still wants a notch in MY belt?
Easy to not care about rates rises when the ratepayers pay your unearned salary.
4.1 is a buckettonne more than anyone will get as a pay rise to cover this.
If this gets spent on more loony green legacy type projects, I'm.going to cruise port Chalmers at 930 to give Aaron a ride and a chat (I have seen him dropped off to "work" as late as 10am on more than one occasion)

Another DCC decision that treats us as tax slaves. Virtually everyone I know believes all non-core services should be cut first or made user-pays. Raising rates as during a recession shows the absolute contempt the DCC/staff has for those who feed them.

Something is badly lacking when a 4.1% increase during a recession is seen as a reasonable compromise by our council.

This decision simply shows how out touch these councillors are.

NZ had at best a 2% inflation rate before covid. That is now likely to be a deflation number. But these self interested people think ratepayer can gift an extra 4% for unnecessary work such as the George St destruction.

And does Cr Lord seriously think closing a business comes without cost? Is he really that naive? What, people don't need to be paid entitlements? Sending carriages back to their owners isn't free?

Just what are these councillors qualified to do - running council certainly isn't on the list.

Bad timing DCC. We already pay though the nose. I have a very small section and no special services in a very ordinary suburb with an over priced house as it is quite basic. Rates are already a challenge for my budget and I am sure others are worse off with fall-out from COVID. Let's know who voted against this increase please. Given council has spent a lot of money playing with Octagon and street painting, I do not see why we are obliged to pay for their foolishness.

 

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