The council's draft plan includes a 7.4% increase in the rates take for 2012-13, but councillors have been helped by a projected $250,000 saving - about 1% if they decide to take it off the budget - in the road maintenance contract next year after a change in contractor brought a lower than expected tender price.
The council last week heard verbal submissions and considered some of the written submissions, and yesterday completed consideration of about 500 it had received.
Councillors then had a public-excluded workshop, during which they were asked to indicate what they believed the rates rise should be and discussed projects suitable for possible savings.
Tuesday and Wednesday next week have been set down for final decisions on the annual plan and rates.
At yesterday's hearing of submissions on the long-term plan, there was one verbal submission.
Whitestone Cheese general manager Simon Berry urged the council to take its budgets back to zero, go through each of its operations and justify what was spent, rather than just adding more cost.
Operational costs should be reduced before the council considered cutting external funding, such as to the Waitaki Community Recreation Centre, he said.
Mr Berry also asked why some events the council helped were not self-sustaining, asking why $35,000 was being spent over the next three years funding the Victorian heritage celebrations, "If not enough people are coming [to the celebrations], is the Victorian thing enough of a drawcard?
"Should we not include other things to attract more people?" Mr Berry asked.
Fiona Anderson (Oamaru), in a written submission, had a similar view and said events such as penguin-viewing, the wine and food festival, Victorian celebrations, Steampunk and the Harbour-Tyne Sts precinct "must all now stand on their own, with no more money given by council ...".
Issues in written submissions reflected those presented last week, including strong support to continue the $73,000 a year funding for the Waitaki Community Recreation Centre.
Some other issues included Oamaru Harbour dredging, public toilet closures, a dog exercise park in Oamaru, an emergency warning siren for the Ohau village, more support for Steampunk, continued funding for the Waitaki Guardians, greater investment in tourism and economic development, public toilets for Hampden and rates increases.
Reflecting the views on rates rises, John Hamilton (Weston) said rates rises should be held to reasonable levels, Laurette Robinson (Oamaru) said most ratepayers were experiencing real hardship and rates were becoming unsustainable for those on fixed incomes and Trevor Carson (Palmerston) advised: "Forget your big plans and stop the ever-increasing rates demands, way above the inflation level."
"The council's concern should not be the size of rates, but the ability of the ratepayer to pay," Averill Jamison (Kia Ora) said.
Oamaru submitters Raewyn Wylie and Catherine Harvey asked separately for the Cape Wanbrow reserve to be cleared of weeds and replanted with mostly native trees, but also some fruit and nut trees. They were supported by other residents in the area.
