Mayor of Wellington

Improve financial transparency so ratepayers can clearly see council debt, revenue, fees and how their money is managed.

Reduce the commercial rating differential over time to support competitiveness, jobs and long-term investment in Wellington.

Reset the budget to cut expenditure, focus on essentials and respect every ratepayer dollar.

Implement zero rate increase for the next three years and then limit increases to inflation. Hold a referendum for any significant changes.

Implement zero rate increase as it is achievable since the issue is wasteful and irresponsible spending, not lack of income.

Implement zero rate increase to attract businesses and people back to Wellington and make it affordable for both young and old.

Apply financial management skills to the council's assets and debts and retain profitable assets to help offset rates increase.

Ensure that rate increases align with the inflation rate and do not exceed it.

Identify the council's core functions and shift responsibilities that do not belong to the council to the central government or seek funding.

Establish an independent capital advisory group to monitor major projects and prevent cost blowouts like the Town Hall and the sludge plant.

Keep rates increases affordable through a line-by-line spending review and phase big investments so council is not overloading the rates bill.

Protect public ownership of Wellington Airport as a strategic asset and a great investment; once it is gone, it is gone.

Abolish debt by writing a cheque from the council to all debtors for the indebted amount. Revive cheques for this purpose.

Conduct all council business by facsimile to save money on email.

Conduct all council proceedings in the dark and in braille to save money on lighting and breath mints.

Ensure fair and transparent rates that balance affordability with funding essential services and infrastructure.

Manage council debt responsibly to maintain financial stability without compromising community projects.

Review fees and charges regularly to keep them fair, transparent and aligned with service costs.

Grow Wellington's population to reduce per person rates; at Hamilton's growth rate, rates would be approximately $1,500 per household per year lower.

Investigate options to tax or rate unearned benefits captured by land bankers through rezoning using land value uplift charges.

Switch to land value based rates to more fairly charge owners the actual cost of infrastructure provision to each section.

Cut the one point eight billion dollars of funds for the water network and divert funds to rainwater tanks and composting toilets. Hanga ipu wai ua ki ia whare.

Cut the wasteful seventy million dollars annual spending on Wellington's roads. Aukatingia te putea mō ngā rori katoa o Pōneke!