The Western Bay of Plenty District Council has proposed ratepayers throughout the Western Bay pay extra on their rates to fund a $65,000 handout for one year to service the $550,000 loan, guaranteed by the council in 2011.

And that only represents half the original purchase price.

Western Bay ratepayers need to know there is a groundswell of anger among Katikati ratepayers against this proposal.

The museum will never be able to meet its financial commitments, so why should any ratepayers be forced to put their good money into a bad proposition?

The previous council supported the purchase, against the advice of council staff, stating the cost would never go on our rates.

The steering group advised against the purchase. Submissions and a petition against it were ignored.

The community at large was never consulted. The majority didn't want it then and they want it even less now it has been revealed by the Katikati Heritage Museum Trust chairman Mike Williams the ‘way forward' is to propose that council permanently levy an annual museum rate onto the ratepayers until the $1million is repaid.

Please speak up against this injustice. Vote for option four - no WBOPDC rate contribution to the museum.

Start petitions, write letters, make submissions - support the Katikati ward ratepayers, because 50 per cent of whom are retired on fixed incomes and are already facing a 6.9 per cent increase on their rates this year.

W Rains, Katikati.