When the Waitaki District Council consults the public on its 2016-17 draft annual plan, ratepayers might be offered "one of the lowest changes in rates across the country'', Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said.
The proposed rates drop for some ratepayers came after the council's extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday when it cut proposed spending, and allocated money from its water and sewerage reserves and the dividend from the council-owned contracting company towards rates, to finalise the pre-draft annual plan with an average 0.06% rates reduction.
Rates across the district would range from a 3% rates reduction to a 3% rates increase.
There would be reductions for ratepayers in Oamaru, Kakanui, Weston and Otematata, and increases in all other areas.
The council's allocation of $280,000 of the $545,000 Whitestone Contracting Ltd dividend would offset the impact of land value on rates as well, evening out the rates impact for agricultural property owners.
After re-allocating the Whitestone dividend the council needed to cut $485,000 off its list of additional proposals for the forthcoming annual plan compiled at a workshop late last year.
The projects, originally intended to be paid for by the over-subscribed dividend, were either cancelled or scheduled to be funded by amenity rates.
The council struck off children's bicycle learning parks for Waihemo and Ahuriri to save $350,000.
And the Oamaru Creek pedestrian bridge and a footpath on Warren St would be funded by an internal loan and Oamaru ratepayers, instead of drawing on the dividend.
Township amenity upgrades and beautification programmes for Duntroon, Maheno, Hampden and Dunback survived the cuts but a number of proposals for which funding had not been identified were struck off the list.
Cr Guy Percival said he, like "everyone around the table'', had a wish list for improvements to the district and questioned whether the council had gone too far.
"We haven't got much momentum going forward at all,'' Cr Percival said.
"We're not getting some things done that I think are really important.''
Mr Kircher disagreed, saying "there are things that would be nice to have, but we have to act like a household - we have to tighten our belts''.
He said the council had found a balance between finding savings for ratepayers, many of whom had suffered due to drought conditions and a drop in dairy payouts and yet the council was "still trying to keep some forward momentum''.
The 2016-17 draft annual plan will be presented to the council on March 16 and public consultation runs from March 18 to April 22.
