Local election candidate Guy Burns (candidate for the Paekakariki-Raumati council seat) calls for greater transparency around rates bills, saying that ratepayers should know exactly where their money is being spent.
“Rates assessments should be more transparent,” Mr Burns said today.
“Current rates assessment notices give limited information to ratepayers about where their money is going, but too much is hidden in broad categories such as ‘Districtwide General rate’ and ‘Community Facilities’.
“We live in an age where customers expect transparency, and it is reasonable
for property owners to know exactly how much they are paying each year for
things like Councillor salaries, Council advertising, libraries, parks and
individual facilities like swimming pools.
“While some of this information is available at a cumulative level, it’s not
currently available on a property by property basis. People are telling me
they want to know exactly how much they are each paying for individual
Council services so that they can make an informed decision about whether
they are getting good value for money”.
Mr Burns says it should be easy for Council to provide more transparent
information to each property owner. “The Council already calculates
individual rates assessments based on the value of each property. Under my
transparency proposal, it would simply be a case of extending the
calculation to a greater level of detail.
“Rates bills are a significant cost for many people, and they are increasing
rapidly at a rate far beyond inflation. If I elected, I will work to rein in
excessive spending, as well as introduce more transparency around what
people are paying for”.
For further information, please contact:
Guy Burns
89 Leinster Avenue, Raumati South 5032
021 2624645
04 9040789