15th May 2015

Mayor Brown’s deceitful introduction of transport levy is leading to his own supporters having second thoughts.

Four Auckland Councillors, who last week voted in favour of a 9.9% rates increase, now want the budget reviewed because they feel the new transport levy will ‘add significantly to a level of rates that is already difficult’ for many ratepayers to afford.

NoMoreRates Founder, David Thornton, responded to this news today commenting “Those same four Councillors should have been well aware of the impact that the new levy would have, but the Mayor’s office seems to have been reluctant about providing accurate forecasts of the total effect of a 2.5% rate increase on top of a major revaluation, and a new levy of $2 a week.

“Introducing a new levy at the final stage of preparing a 10-year budget, without full consultation, is typical of Mayor Brown’s vision of leadership – the mushroom theory, keeping everyone in the dark” commented David Thornton.

“There is still time to make changes before the budget must be adopted and rates set on June 25th.

“To abandon the new levy at this late stage will cause some considerable chaos as officials advising the Mayor would need to scramble to make considerable spending cuts – but that is what the public wants.

“And the Mayor has only himself to blame.

“If he had been honest and explained his new transport levy in full for public consultation, including the effect on total rates, he would have very quickly learnt the public view – they don’t want his 9.9% average rate increase”

David Thornton is awaiting a response from the Auditor General on the lack of information given to the public during statutory consultation on the 10-year plan.

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