Wairarapa Times-Age E-Edition

SWDC told: ‘Redo the budgets’

EMILY IRELAND emily.ireland@age.co.nz

“The $22.9 million-dollar question is: who of you has the strength to stand up for your communities?”

This was the question posed to South Wairarapa councillors by former councillor Lee Carter this week during the public forum of the council’s full meeting via Zoom.

Carter was referring to the miscommunicated rates rise for 2021/22 and suggested councillors “fix this by making moves to redo the budgets and reduce rates for this year”.

South Wairarapa District Council’s Long Term Plan [LTP] consultation document, published in March, indicated that the council needed to collect an extra 17.9 per cent in rates, the council said.

But in June, South Wairarapa councillors signed off a rates resolution where the anticipated rates intake totalled $22.9m, a 28 per cent rise compared to the anticipated intake in the rates resolution from the year prior.

The rise was criticised by ratepayers.

At the start of September, a statement signed by each councillor and the chief executive said the increase was not adequately explained in the LTP consultation and they apologised.

“We acknowledge that the message should have been clear, and we are committed to absolute transparency in responding to the situation,” the council statement said.

In the joint statement, councillors said a public meeting would be held “as soon as possible” and that the council

would “work with legal advisers to consider all the options that may be available to ease the rates burden on ratepayers for this year”.

At the meeting on Wednesday Carter asked councillors to “redo the budgets and reduce the rates for this year”.

“As per Standing Orders and in accordance with the Local Government Rating Act Section 119: today, announce your intention to put forth a notice of motion calling for an extra ordinary meeting to rescind the rates resolution set on June 30 and reset the rate resolution consistent with the rate consultation.”

She said the most appropriate place to make this announcement would be during the council’s discussion on holding public meetings.

Carter also said councillors’ responsibilities were to the people who elected them, not the council itself.

“Your responsibility is to listen and care for your communities.

“You absolutely know how much your communities are hurting from this rates rise.

“I ask you, where is your integrity and what of your code of conduct to the public?”

Later in the meeting, recommendations from the Martinborough and Greytown community boards to hold public meetings in each of South Wairarapa’s towns regarding the rates rise was discussed.

South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen said the council had “already indicated we wish to hold a public meeting on rates” but that covid-19 alert level 2 restrictions were currently in play.

Councillor Brian Jephson said the council could not hold public meetings at the moment “until we know what is happening with covid”.

Councillor Brenda West suggested any public meetings should be chaired by an independent person, as had happened previously at meetings where councillors

I ask you, where is your integrity and what of your code of conduct to the public?

- Former councillor Lee Carter

had made a public apology to the public.

The last public meeting when this happened was in May 2018, when SWDC made a public apology to Featherston residents regarding a protracted dysfunctional relationship with the town.

This meeting was chaired by former Kapiti mayor Jenny Rowan.

Following discussion, Beijen suggested a movement to “refer the recommendations from the Martinborough Community Board and Greytown Community Board to officers for a reporting on how the matters will be addressed”.

This was moved by councillor Alistair Plimmer and seconded by councillor Rebecca Fox.

All councillors in attendance were in favour.

Absent from the meeting was councillor Ross Vickery.

FRONT PAGE

en-nz

2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://times-age.pressreader.com/article/281543704057908

National Media Limited