Council Deliberations Begin

Waitakere City Council today began deliberations on its Long Term Council Community Plan. Meetings are due to run until Tuesday, 25th March.

Draft budgets for 2003/04 show an increase in the Council’s own costs of just 0.78%, or $659, 000. Interest and depreciation increases are $4.157 million ( or 4.92%) to make up an average rates increase of 5.70%.

This will go out for public consultation through April and May as part of the Draft Long Term Council Community Plan, after which the final plan and budgets will be adopted.

The next financial year, which begins on 1st July, also sees the Auckland Regional Council separately rating property owners for the first time. The previous ARC levy-amounting to $8 million for Waitakere City- was included as part of the Council’s rate bill.