Press Release from Peoples Choice
26 July 2006

Calculate your rates savings on-line

Peoples Choice have updated their popular rates calculator on their web site, so residents can see how much they’ve saved from the introduction of the $300 Uniform Annual General charge.

Peoples Choice Chairman Hamish Stevens said the Dick Quax amendment to the council’s original rates proposal, has saved many residents a lot of money. “The rates calculator will show the saving for each property, simply by entering your property’s annual value”

Mr Stevens said Councillor Quax’s amendment reduced average rate increases from 13.5% to 8.3% in the Botany/Clevedon ward, from 7.2% to 3.1% in Howick, and from 4.5% to just 0.5% in Pakuranga.

Mr Stevens said the original rates calculator received over 600 hits and believes it played an instrumental part in building community action over the council’s plans.

“This has been a common phenomenon overseas, where internet based communications have been central to democratic action”

Mr Stevens said that the Dick Quax amendment was a common sense compromise that ensured rates increases were evened out across the city.

The Peoples Choice rates calculator can be found at www.peopleschoice.org.nz/calculator

ENDS

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