Council Pre-election Report Out Now

2 august 2013

For Immediate Release

Candidates and voters get their first chance to see how Hamilton City Council is performing with the release of its first ever pre-election report today.

The report is a new legal requirement designed to promote informed discussion in the lead up to the local body elections in October this year.  It outlines the Council’s financial position and the key issues facing the city over the coming years.  The report is required to be written by the chief executive independently of the Mayor and Councillors.

HCC’s chief executive Barry Harris said the report provides information regarding council’s performance.

“It’s fair to say we are well on track to be back in the black by 2017.  This means meeting the goal of living within our means.  We have done this by keeping rates increases to a minimum, managing debt, reducing expenditure and creating a more efficient organisation” he said.

Key points of the report include:

·         HCC is on track to be ‘in the black’ by 2017.

·         HCC capped debt at $440m over each of the ten years of the Council’s Long Term Plan.  This year debt was $397m - $43 million under the cap.
·         The Council received $4.5 million more income than expected this year. The main factor influencing this was development contributions.  Lower interest rates on our borrowings were also a factor.  (Any surplus goes towards paying off debt.)
·         Major projects for the next three years following the election include:
1.        completing the Hamilton Ring Road
2.       New and expanded stormwater infrastructure in Rotokauri
3.       Replacing sports park assets including drainage, irrigation, playing surfaces and carpark resurfacing
4.       Completing the fantasy garden at the Hamilton Gardens
5.       Developing a strategic plan for a 16km stretch of the Waikato River
6.       Finalising reviews of arts and recreation facilities.

The report shows how rates are spent, what assets have and have not been sold, council’s goals and financial statements as well as a list of major projects.  A copy of the full report is now available on council’s website www.hamilton.co.nz/elections.

ENDS

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