Rates figures puzzle

Waimarino Bulletin, 26 July 1988, Page 4

Rates figures puzzle

Through your columns I have followcd with interest the formation and subsequent work of the Waimarino District Council. Of particular interest was the setting of the rates. As a farmer I will concern myself with the Rural sector only in this letter. Some of the figures printed in the Bulletin I have found hard to believe. In the rates debate report, printed in the Bulletin on Tuesday May 24: "1.8% increase in the Rural Ward (depending on revaluations)". That sounded too good to be true. "Of the $2.28 million to be collected in rates $974,415 will be spent on eentral services. These are largely administration costs". Bloody hell! My rate demand arrives, plus a letter from the Mayor. What relief, the rural increase is still 1.8%. "Despite inflation running around 8% rural rates increase marginally", "however last year's revaluation o f rural land has resulted in rate increases above 1.8% where land values rcmain high. Similarly rate decreases occur where land values have fallen." Under "where the rates go" I notice administration spend-

ing is down to a mere 27.8%. So much for the letter, now the rate demand. My increase is 27.35% on total rates. Surely this must be wrong! I'll break it down a bit. My capital value has increased 14.28% and the catchment board demand is up 13.25%. That's reasonable. My land value increase is miniscule, .00097%, but the gencral rate demand on it shows an increase of 22.77%. That is not reasonable. I take it a step further. My total demand less catchment board and pest board demands has increased 28.07%. I know there are other rural ratepayers who have been hit as hard and much harder than I have. I wonder how many, if any have had a comparable reduction. I consider many of the figures put out b y council and printed in your paper may be accurate, but are set out in such a way as to be very misleading. With such a massive proportion of rates spent on administration, I would expect that department to have sufficient staff with enough expertise to be

able to put out a set of figures which are clear, concise and accurate and which show the true situation. To this end I would like to challenge the Finance and Administration Committee and the District Manager to publish as a pcrcentage and as a total figure, the true total increase to the rural ratepayers, not including catchment and pest board charges, but this time including the uniform land charge, which I note has increased 100%. I wonder how far away it will be from the oft publicised

1.8%.

T.H

. Geraghty

Korimako thanks May I through the Bulletin extend my very sincere and grateful thanks to a large section of the community for its support in the recent regional finals of the Korimako Speech contests. We received generous monetary donations from various sectors of the community, donations of food, advcrtising, assistance with the cooking of a hot midday dinncr for 3 5 0 people, help with organisation and tutoring

students among other things. A large number of our students and staff worked extra hours before and on the day to see that the day ran as smoothly as possible. It was a real pleasure to see community and school working together and experiencing a wider concept of education. It is this kind of support which makes a school a vibrant and essential part of a community. When we work together on the positive things the negative becomcs less visible. Many compliments were received about the meal and hospitality, our students, the school and the community involvemcnt and support! I feel very proud to be part of this community and especially our Collcgc. Thankyou again to everyone involvcd. Kia kaha, kia manawanui. Kia noho te Ariki ki a Koutou Ka-

toa.

Merrilyn

George