7 August 2013

John Palino Will Hold Rates to Level of Inflation

Auckland mayoral candidate John Palino released his rates policy and confirmed that under his leadership general rates will not rise above inflation.

"Aucklanders were told that the Auckland Council would be more efficient than its eight legged predecessor.

But what we've seen is the opposite - rates have increased every year of the Auckland Council beyond the level of inflation and now there’s more money spent on staff than under the previous eight councils combined.

To hear talk of hundreds of millions of dollars of efficiencies gained is grossly misleading. If there were any efficiencies, these have been more than consumed by decreasing efficiencies in other areas of Council.

On the whole, Auckland residents now get less value for money than they did four years ago.

While rates for this financial year have increased by 2.9 per cent, rates are planned to rise 5 per cent year on year for the next several years. We've got increased borrowing being used to offset rates increases beyond that. And now, the Mayor wants new road taxes to make up for a bloated and inefficient decision-making system.

It doesn't have to be this way. By focusing the Council's limited resources on those activities that local government is designed to perform; by reducing the complex array of committees, sub committees and other duplicative decision-making processes; and by delegating greater responsibility for decision making to local boards and communities of interest, we can stop rates going up.

If I am Mayor, general rates will not go up beyond the level of inflation. The Auckland Council is not a business, but its financial management must be as disciplined as any other organisation of its size, or we will all suffer in the long run.

There are too many examples of poor financial management by public authorities in the world right now. We don't need another,” says Palino.

Web: www.palinoformayor.co.nz Authorised By John Palino

ENDS

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