Masterton District Council
Rates and revenue
The work of local government is funded mainly by property taxes in the local area, known as rates. This makes up around 60% of council expenditure, with the rest coming from user charges, investment income, regulatory fees and roading subsidies. Councils can also borrow money to spread the cost of large investments such as infrastructure over a longer period of time.
Rates and revenue
The work of local government is funded mainly by property taxes in the local area, known as rates. This makes up around 60% of council expenditure, with the rest coming from user charges, investment income, regulatory fees and roading subsidies. Councils can also borrow money to spread the cost of large investments such as infrastructure over a longer period of time.
Use Three Waters better-off funding to upgrade infrastructure and water storage reducing impact on future rates.
Introduce forestry differential similar to Wairoa District on forests eligible for the Emission Trading Scheme.
Lower expected council debt by being more realistic on new builds, ie town hall, not civic centre.
Advocate for fair rates.
Review of council fees and make it affordable for housing developers to encourage more investment.
Ensure rates increases are affordable with a focus on core council business, its services and delivery.
Ensure essentials are financed first before considering 'nice to haves'.
Monitor and manage debt at a prudent and acceptable level.
Scrap plans for the new town hall. Masterton cannot afford $70m to be financed by debt. Review recycling old town hall.
Set rates first, then spending, not other way round. Focus on core services and not "nice to haves". Openness when setting rates.
Prune council in house spending first. Make operations more streamlined and efficient to reduce waste of rates money.
Avoid regressive rating policies wherever possible.
Further encourage and promote automatic and progressive payment of rates where it might help.
Discuss the worth of citizen-determined rates as a way of fostering greater community understanding of what rates provide for.
Use Three Waters better-off funding to upgrade infrastructure and water storage reducing impact on future rates.
Introduce forestry differential similar to Wairoa District on forests eligible for the Emission Trading Scheme.
Lower expected council debt by being more realistic on new builds, ie town hall, not civic centre.
Advocate for fair rates.
Review of council fees and make it affordable for housing developers to encourage more investment.
Ensure rates increases are affordable with a focus on core council business, its services and delivery.
Ensure essentials are financed first before considering 'nice to haves'.
Monitor and manage debt at a prudent and acceptable level.
Scrap plans for the new town hall. Masterton cannot afford $70m to be financed by debt. Review recycling old town hall.
Set rates first, then spending, not other way round. Focus on core services and not "nice to haves". Openness when setting rates.
Prune council in house spending first. Make operations more streamlined and efficient to reduce waste of rates money.
Avoid regressive rating policies wherever possible.
Further encourage and promote automatic and progressive payment of rates where it might help.
Discuss the worth of citizen-determined rates as a way of fostering greater community understanding of what rates provide for.
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