...turn to the back! Waimarino limits wish list to keep rates increase to minimum

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 528, 22 March 1994, Page 1

...turn to the back! Waimarino limits wish list to keep rates increase to minimum

Waimarino Community Board members chose to limit its 'wish list' of capital works to $23,000, which is expected to add two to three percent to the rate in the dollar for Waimarino property owners. Projects included were: judder bars for Rimu Street, Ohakune ($940); new footpath construction for Tainui Street Ohakune ($12,692); new footpaths for Parapara Road and Hukuroa Road, Raetihi ($10,228). There was no indication whether these figures included GST. To fund all the items on the list would have added 24 per cent to the overall rates. Several items were taken off the list of potential projects as they are expected to fall into the council' s proposed roading upgrade programme. Corporate services director Chris Ryan told the Board that with the overall drop in land values, the Ruapehu District Council roading rate would have to be increased by two per cent to generate the same amount of money for the council. He warned that with changes in land values some ratepayers would see an increase in their rates and some would see a decrease, depending on how their land value had changed. He said because all the rate setting

activities were going on at the same time, it was impossible to know with certainty what the final rates would be. The board could spend up to $16,000 for a neutral effect on rates. Mr Ryan showed examples of average ratepayers which indicated the projects would add about $46 to an average rural landowner's rates (whose land value was about $86,000) and about $3.50 to an average Raetihi landowner's rates.

The separate ward rate would also pay for democracy which covers the costs associated with the Waimarino Community Board ($64,613 excluding GST); agencies (such as NZ Post and Trustbank in Raetihi and the Births, Deaths and Marriages agency in Ohakune - total, $16,000); and the costs associated with holding any general property which is not in use by the council or by a third party ($30,000). Surplus land cost The board heard that sale of surplus council property would see a benefit to the ward through a decrease in the costs of holding such a property. The board did not ask if there were ways of decreasing the cost of democracy to allow for other projects. Board members expressed disappointment that the new system did not leave the ward any better off in terms of available money for 'wish list' projects. "We' re no better off than last year unless we recommend to put the rates up," said Ben Goddard. (Last year the council approved just one capital works project.) Mr Ryan said other factors which would influence the final rates were the roading upgrade programme and the council' s obligations to deal with its refuse handling problems.