Outside it may have been dusk but inside the Palmerston Sports Hall on Monday the lights were bright — and all eyes were on the district’s elected representatives.
Palmerston was the second of three public meetings held as part of the council’s consultation into three options for potential rates rises — 19%, 27% and 45%.
The first was held in Otematata and last in Oamaru.
A 19% rise would reduce the council’s $14 million deficit somewhat, while 27% would account for inflationary pressures such as fuel prices and 45% would balance the books.
None of the options were ever likely to prove popular with the public and residents made their voices heard at the meeting, with a hand pretty much always up and staff kept busy passing the mic around.
Roughly 80 people were in attendance.
The night began, as all good ones do, with a slide show.
Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale ran through slides which showed the council’s deficit, rates increases through the years and costs increases she said the council was facing, of up to 30% in some instances, with more coming down the line and not budgeted for.
A "huge chunk" of costs was tied up in Three Waters depreciation, with water costs "dwarfing everything else we do", Mrs Tavendale said.
Councillors were between a rock and a hard place, she added.
Now over to the audience.
A show of hands prompted by a ratepayer found that the majority of the room were against even a 19% proposed rise, the minimum option as part of the consultation.
The new Network Waitaki Event Centre became a bit of an elephant in the room as locals questioned its value to the area, despite their rates having gone towards it and there were calls for it to be sold.
There was also criticism of the council’s chief executive and calls for a look at staff numbers.
Several residents stated how much their bills were likely to go up in the circumstances — significantly.
One ratepayer said her bill could go from $70 to $100 a week which would also mean less money spent in the community, fewer trips to Oamaru and less spent in businesses there.
Others asked how the proposed rates rise would be dispersed across the community.
One ratepayer questioned the cost-effectiveness of community boards — but Cr Sven Thelning said they gave communities a voice around the table, noting the area he came from, the Corriedale ward, did not enjoy that sort of representation at the table as it had no local board.
Waihemo Community Board deputy chairman Kerry Stevens raised concerns as an individual board member about the two-week rates consultation period being a "rushed process".
Near the end of proceedings, former councillor Jim Thomson, rising from his seat, firstly asked whether one of the other attendees in front of him was still awake.
He said that after having the "privilege" of serving in council for five years he was "enjoying watching councillors squirm".
‘GENUINE ANGST’
But he said the "genuine angst" from those in the room should instead be directed towards politicians in Wellington who were responsible for the government-imposed costs saddling the council.
He reminded those gathered that there was an "opportunity to do something about that" at the ballot box at the upcoming general election, to applause.
Mrs Tavendale bore the brunt of the questioning, as mayor, but other councillors also stepped in, including Cr Frans Schlack and Cr Thelning, and elected representatives were available at the end of the evening to answer questions.
There was a frank exchange of views throughout the meeting.
The night was well attended, the carpark packed out and if nothing else it was a sign that local democracy was alive and well in the district.
To keep things civil, tea and coffee was served at the conclusion of the meeting.
In the end it was the rising cold that drove people away, not their engagement in local politics.
