Hamilton City 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.
Keep rates low by cutting wasteful projects and focusing on essential services ratepayers rely on.
Review underused council assets and reinvest funds into infrastructure like roads and water.
Scrutinise every dollar of spending to guarantee maximum value for ratepayers.
Conduct a full line-by-line review of council budgets to find savings.
Reduce reliance on debt by prioritising essential projects over nice-to-haves.
Stop wasteful spending to keep rates under control.
Cap rates rises by better management of big projects to save money.
Exit Local Government New Zealand.
Reduce debt by better management of big projects to save money.
Improve contract negotiation practices to reduce costs and ensure that ratepayers benefit from economies of scale or alternative providers.
Reduce council's debt and associated interest costs and reduce rates when prudent, once core infrastructure is responsibly funded.
Reduce extravagance, wrongdoing and inefficiency within the bureaucracy and check if managers and executives have public liability insurance.
Balance increasing debt while investing in necessary infrastructure now.
Commit to collaboration and partnerships in key developments.
Investigate additional options for alternative revenue outside of rates.
Be transparent about where rates money is being spent and why. Stop the nice-to-haves and focus on priorities.
Complete an audit of council's financial position with public results and a plan on how to reach agreed financial goals.
Establish more partnerships with business, philanthropic, other councils and citizen groups to invest in viable joint projects.
Review all expenditure against whether council is delivering the right services and whether Hamilton is getting value for money.
Ensure council's procurement processes are fit for purpose with clear accountability and transparency of the process and outcomes.
Reduce debt by living within means, prioritising spending and sequencing projects according to priorities that deliver public value.
Benchmark spending against other councils as a form of review for better transparency and cost efficiency.
Create partnerships and shared services with neighbouring councils and increase the councils in our waters CCO to drive efficiency.
Reduce reliance on consultants and build in-house capacity and expertise.
Cut consultant fees by 50% using in-house staff, saving $10 million yearly to fund core services without rate hikes for all Kiwis.
Freeze rates increases at a 2–3% inflation cap, protecting wallets and ensuring fair funding for roads and water infrastructure.
Publish AI-driven budget dashboards to boost transparency, detailing spending to rebuild trust for all Hamiltonians.
Keep council debt low so future costs do not get out of control.
Keep rates fair and affordable while making sure community services are paid for.
Keep rates low by cutting wasteful projects and focusing on essential services ratepayers rely on.
Review underused council assets and reinvest funds into infrastructure like roads and water.
Scrutinise every dollar of spending to guarantee maximum value for ratepayers.
Conduct a full line-by-line review of council budgets to find savings.
Reduce reliance on debt by prioritising essential projects over nice-to-haves.
Stop wasteful spending to keep rates under control.
Cap rates rises by better management of big projects to save money.
Exit Local Government New Zealand.
Reduce debt by better management of big projects to save money.
Improve contract negotiation practices to reduce costs and ensure that ratepayers benefit from economies of scale or alternative providers.
Reduce council's debt and associated interest costs and reduce rates when prudent, once core infrastructure is responsibly funded.
Reduce extravagance, wrongdoing and inefficiency within the bureaucracy and check if managers and executives have public liability insurance.
Balance increasing debt while investing in necessary infrastructure now.
Commit to collaboration and partnerships in key developments.
Investigate additional options for alternative revenue outside of rates.
Be transparent about where rates money is being spent and why. Stop the nice-to-haves and focus on priorities.
Complete an audit of council's financial position with public results and a plan on how to reach agreed financial goals.
Establish more partnerships with business, philanthropic, other councils and citizen groups to invest in viable joint projects.
Review all expenditure against whether council is delivering the right services and whether Hamilton is getting value for money.
Ensure council's procurement processes are fit for purpose with clear accountability and transparency of the process and outcomes.
Reduce debt by living within means, prioritising spending and sequencing projects according to priorities that deliver public value.
Benchmark spending against other councils as a form of review for better transparency and cost efficiency.
Create partnerships and shared services with neighbouring councils and increase the councils in our waters CCO to drive efficiency.
Reduce reliance on consultants and build in-house capacity and expertise.
Cut consultant fees by 50% using in-house staff, saving $10 million yearly to fund core services without rate hikes for all Kiwis.
Freeze rates increases at a 2–3% inflation cap, protecting wallets and ensuring fair funding for roads and water infrastructure.
Publish AI-driven budget dashboards to boost transparency, detailing spending to rebuild trust for all Hamiltonians.
Keep council debt low so future costs do not get out of control.
Keep rates fair and affordable while making sure community services are paid for.
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