Unlike their Roxburgh, Vincent and Cromwell counterparts, Maniototo ratepayers are not facing an increase in the ward component of their rates.
A potential 1.4% increase was signalled in the long-term plan, but Central Otago District Council staff had managed to whittle that down to zero by removing inflation adjustments, capping staff wage and salary rises and trimming other budgets where there was room, council corporate services manager Susan Finlay told the Maniototo Community Board on Thursday. Earlier this week the Cromwell Community Board approved a 6.8% increase in its ward component, down from 9.6%.
Also this week, the Vincent Community board approved a rise of 6%, down from 6.4%.
Last week, the Roxburgh Community Board approved a rise of 5.6%, down from 7.5%.
The figures will be combined with the district component of the rates to decide the overall increase, which is likely to average 5.2%, down from a proposed 7.6% signalled in the long-term plan.
Mrs Finlay told the board there was some risk in such a ''lean'' budget but ''the only place where we can change is a level of service cut''.
She said to do that, the council would have to change the long-term plan and then be subjected to the auditing process again.
Board chairman Barry Becker said council staff had ''done a fantastic job pruning stuff back'' and he was thankful it was them that had done so instead of the board.
