I read that the Christchurch council signalled a 7.5% increase in rates and there was a ratepayer revolt. I previously read that council had signalled a 10.5% increase in Tauranga rates.
We, the ratepayers of Tauranga are so inured to excessive rate increases that we just ‘shut up and pay up'.
How interesting to note that the new Thames Coromandel DC Mayor, Glen Leach and his new council Chief Executive Officer have delivered a 1% rate decrease in this rating year and are proposing a decrease of more than 5% for the 2012/13 year.
The Mayor comments that 'we know times are tough for our people and this council is determined to buck the national trend and deliver rates savings where we can. Even across the 10 years, the average increase will only be 1.9% which is a fair and affordable approach in these uncertain times”. He also comments that they hadn't cut back on spending in the ‘right places'.
Thames Coromandel DC is not a city but it is a grouping of towns that have to cope with huge influxes of absentee home owners, holiday makers and tourists etc, because their towns are situated on very desirable coastlines. Their infrastructure is designed, built, and/or modified with the extra capacity to cope with the shock loadings of extra people. Their collective growth rate is also equal to Tauranga.
Lucky Thames Coromandel ratepayers to have a ‘feet on the ground Mayor and CEO'.

Maureen J Anderson, Pyes Pa.