The submission process for the Gore District long-term plan featured multiple comments asking for the council to push back against central in regards to costs put on to ratepayers.
Mr Bell said he agreed, and there was a disconnect in messaging from Wellington and the policies being put into place for local government.
"This government has been very clear on getting back to basics, which I do agree with, it’s what I campaigned and was elected on.
"I do find it ironic though. They’re asking for cost savings in some areas while inflicting them in others. It seems a bit contradictory to me," he said.
Mr Bell cited new levies over water and waste, an increase in economic regulators and unfunded mandates as being the culprits putting strain on local councils.
Another difficult pill to swallow was the lack of agency for councils to set certain rules in their own region, as Mr Bell found out during the roading bylaw deliberations.
"I was surprised to understand as a part of the roading bylaw we can’t set any of our own road speed limits any more.
"It just seems like extra red tape. You can’t tell me anyone from NZTA would know [roads in the region] more than the councillors who drive them every day," he said.
However, these are not being taken lying down. The Gore District Council and Local Government New Zealand, for which Mr Bell is the Otago and Southland National representative, have been providing feedback and critique on certain issues, he said.
"There are things we definitely can push back on, like wastewater standards, we’ve done a lot of work there.
"LGNZ has done a lot for unfunded mandates. There are a lot of government decisions that do happen without considerations of how much it will cost the ratepayer when legislation is passed," Mr Bell said.
Mr Bell said during deliberations at the council on Tuesday, he would be raising the issue of the rate rebate scheme at the LGNZ National Council, to see if any support could be gathered.
Other issues such as carbon forestry, maintaining water standards and the change to the resource management act regarding regional plans are also in the crosshairs for his discussions with central.
Economic regulators are an issue Mr Bell takes particular issue with, with efficiency in the role a concern.
"My argument with economic regulators is, have they really worked in other sectors? There’s one in the electricity sector, the supermarket sector.
"I don’t know if any of those prices have been stable over the years. Whether another regulator is really going to solve any issues, I’m really not sure," he said.
Mr Bell said he agreed with the people of the Gore District and their concerns and would do his best to better inform and involve the community in the future.
"I’d say I hear you, and I agree with you, and I’d say we are [working on it].
"We probably need to get better at sharing the wins we are having, and bringing the community with us, so we can have the strong drive of advocacy from residents to push back at these things," he said.
• In the article yesterday regarding the deliberations by the council, asset sales of $500,000 were incorrectly reported as possibly reducing this year’s rates percentage. It will in fact be used to pay down debt only.
The council also found $400,000 savings in staff costs and $150,000 on maintenance. These two sums were lumped together and then split equally towards paying down more debt on the one hand and reducing rates on the other.
It was splitting this second sum of money to pay off both debt and reduce rates that Mayor Bell, Cr John Gardyne and Cr Glenys Dickson voted against and Cr Rob McKenzie abstained.
Cr Andy Fraser was incorrectly referred to as Grant Fraser yesterday. Mr Fraser did not vote against the savings split.
