Fair funding needed for local boards

The release of local board budgets has given some indication of the future scope for Auckland’s communities under the Super City. The Waitemata Local Board is seen as having the lion’s share of funding with $43 million, but once you start breaking down the figures you realise Waitemata residents are missing out on funding for small local improvements.

At the Finance Committee yesterday, the Council decided to allocate discretionary funding to Local Boards from 1 July 2011 based on $1 per resident within the ward.

However, the Council has allocated SLIP funding (small local improvement) by dividing the total fund by the number of local boards. The inequitable allocation of funds gives the 900 residents on Great Barrier Island the same SLIP funding as the 72,000 residents in Waitemata.

Waitemata Local Board member Rob Thomas said “All local boards in Auckland deserve their fair share of rates based SLIP funding. All local boards need to start on equal footing. Auckland is turning over a new leaf and this is our opportunity to make the process of community grants more transparent and equitable.”

“Yesterday’s decision for discretionary funding is precedence for the allocation of SLIP funding.”

Discussions with council officers have failed to uncover how SLIP funding was allocated to community boards in the past.

“There are a range of options for allocating SLIPS community funding, you just need to look overseas. The UK Council funding model is based on census population and census projections.”

“There needs to be a commitment from the council that funding to local boards change over time as the demographics in our communities change. The Auckland Plan provides this opportunity. A funding model based on real statistical information, like census population, will provide a more equitable funding mechanism for communities.”

Rob Thomas also mentioned alternative funding model could be considered that looked at census population, rateable value of properties, and the social deprivation index.

ENDS

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