An almost 10 per cent rates hike has been written into Greater Wellington Regional Council’s long-term budget.
Councillors voted to approve the final wording of its 2015-25 long-term plan, which includes an annual rates increase of 9.8 per cent for the 2015-16 financial year.
Upper Hutt representative Paul Swain was the only councillor who voted against the final wording of the budget, because he felt the rates increase was too much. And he is correct it is too much. Inflation is 0.1%. Rates should be increased by no more than, say, 2%. A 10% rates rise is just a Council with no fiscal discipline.
While the councillors recently decided that they no longer had confidence in their Chairperson the ratepayers could well be feeling the same way about the councilors – with the exception of Councillor Swain.
